The X Files: Earth Children Are Weird. (Pop Classic Picture Books). Based on characters created by Chris Carter. Illustrated by Kim Smith. Philadelphia, PA: Quirk Books (Distributed in Canada by Penguin Random House), 2017. 40 pp., hardcover & epub, $19.95 (hc.). ISBN 978-1-59474-979-7 (hc.), ISBN 978-1-59474-980-3 (epub). Grades 1-3 / Ages 6-8. Review by Alison Schroeder. **** /4

excerpt:

But how do you explain that TERRIFYING SHADOW?

It's just Buster! Here, boy! There's a good dog! I told you there was nothing to worry about!

But what could have made this GIANT FOOTPRINT?

Don't you remember? We're getting a new swimming pool! They must have started digging this morning!

Oh, right. I forgot…

The X-Files: Earth Children are Weird is about two young friends, Dana and Fox. They are camping out in the backyard one night and reading scary stories before bed. After Dana finishes a story about aliens, Fox begins to think he's seeing and hearing things that mean there are aliens nearby. Every time he finds something, Dana shows him that it's really nothing to be afraid of. Towards the end of the story, the two friends are walking through the forest, and Fox realizes he has nothing to be afraid of and that he was just letting his imagination run wild. However, in the background when he has this realization, there are aliens hiding in the shadows of the forest that the kids can't see. When the friends get back to their tent, they encounter two young aliens sitting on their sleeping bags reading scary stories. Everyone is surprised and frightened and runs away from the tent screaming. Dana and Fox run into the house and upstairs to go to bed, and on the last page of the story it is revealed that their parents and dog are aliens who have been disguised the whole time.

      This story is similar in style to a comic book or graphic novel for kids. The binding of the book is comparable to a high quality magazine. The dialogue is the only written part of the story and appears in speech bubbles above each character. The images play a large part in creating the narrative of this book. The story is lighthearted and meant to show kids that they don't need to be afraid of things they can't understand right away; however, the ending showing that aliens are real and wear costumes to pose as humans might be frightening to some young children.

      The illustrations in The X-Files: Earth Children are Weird are bold and graphic. They are important to understanding the storyline, and the perception the characters have of the scary noises and shadows they find throughout are very well depicted and would be captivating to kids reading this story.

Highly Recommended.

Alison Schroeder has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Manitoba and is a lover of children's books.

CM Home | Back Issues | Search | CM Archive | Profiles Archive

Next Review | Table of Contents for This Issue - November 3, 2017.