Hi from Outer Space (Fiona Katauskas, A&U Children’s)

Cartoonist and illustrator Fiona Katauskas’s debut middle-grade novel, Hi from Outer Space, is a wonderfully wacky sci-fi/comedy that will appeal to readers of Nat Amoore, Morris Gleitzman and Eve L Ewing’s Maya and the Robot. Budding cartoonist Alex Lê encounters a UFO while walking the dog one night. Enter Hi, the three-eyed, shoe-obsessed alien from Planet Wendy who has a school assignment to do on ‘The Role of Leadership in Human Societies’ for his Earth Studies class. They decide to help each other: Alex will get Hi an interview with an Earthling leader, and Alex will use Hi as inspiration for an upcoming junior comic competition. Hilarity ensues as Hi (whom most other humans cannot see) settles into his Earth holiday, slithering around saying ‘grexcellent’ (great/excellent), raiding shoe stores, confusing people into thinking they can hear toy pianos being bashed with inflatable hammers, and vibrating with excitement at all of Earth’s quirks. Alex and Hi develop a charming friendship as they teach each other about their home planets and meet some pretty hopeless Earthling leaders. It is Roxy Vox, lead singer of a 90s rock band, who gives them the best recipe for leadership: walking to the beat of your own drum and listening to others. For readers aged 8–12, Katauskas uses playful, piquant illustrations to enhance a natural comic voice that has moments of refreshing eccentricity.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Charlotte Callander is a freelance writer and educator at Melbourne Museum. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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