by Lucy Ruth Cummins
illustrations by the author
Atheneum Books for Young Readers Children's Publishing Division
2024
48 pages
ISBN: 9786659111955
One summer night some visitors land and begin collecting earth samples in Stepthen's backyard. When they were frightened off, one visitor got left behind. A little dog! Stephen invites the "dog" inside, and shows him where to sleep. The visitor is not having it. He enjoys the bed, not the floor.
They also have trouble at breakfast. It isn't until Stephen offers the dog bacon, that readers see the happiness erupt on the visitor's face. A tear of joy! Bacon! Later, on a walk to the park, the visitor insists on walking without a leash like a real "person." He is appalled when real dogs want to sniff his behind.
The visitor waits for his ship to return, hoping to go home soon. A few nights later, his people do land and pick him up. On board the ship, the visitor questions "home." He should be happy to be where he belongs, but he misses his friend Stephen. He heads right back to Earth and grabs his favorite spot on the bed so that he's there when Stephen wakes. This is a true tail of intergalactic friendship!
Dalmartian is quirky fun, and young readers will giggle at the visitor's antics which are very un "dog" like. Yellow, black and brown dominate the art, but the visitor and his ship are colored with green (a nod to Martian green).
Highly, highly recommended for anyone who loves dogs, space and friendship.
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