Lights on Wonder Rock

Heather’s biggest dream is to live among the stars—she’s a big fan of outer space and hopes that she can somehow signal to the aliens to come pick her up. She uses her flashlight to click on and off out in the forest by her home, and surprisingly succeeds in her efforts as a blast of color lights up the night and an alien ship lands on the forest ground. She makes a new alien friend, but ultimately decides to stay home as her parents worriedly call out to her. As Heather grows through adolescence and adulthood, she tries repeatedly to signal her alien friend back to earth and shares the experience of her alien friend with (at least) her son along the way, showcasing her continued passion to space amongst her family life. One dark night, her alien friend finally returns, and the two fly into the starry sky before returning to Earth to be with her family (who excitedly watch her descent from the UFO). In this intriguing blend of wordless storytelling and actual text, Litchfield impressively uses illustrated panels to move the story along and add a sophisticated comic-book feel. Dazzling illustrations beautifully showcase the expectant girl in the forest, the blossoming friendship between Heather and her alien friend, and the tender moments she shares with her son and family. Explosions of color accompany the UFO’s visits, lighting up both the pages and Heather’s excited face. Overall, the use of storytelling illustrations and fabulous illustrative style make this story shine.