The Postman from Space

This comically low-key import follows Bob, “a special postman. A postman from space,” who prefers that his life be “nice and easy,” featuring a regular morning routine and a standard delivery route. When his boss reassigns the routes (“You’ll be getting a different one every day”), Bob sets out to places he’s never been: planets, remote locations, and an asteroid across the galaxy. Told in six chapters, one for each delivery and his return trip, Bob’s journey presents endless frustrations that disrupt his want for “simple and orderly”—sudden rain, an unreasonable Little Prince–like customer who demands the postman “draw me a sheep,” and language barriers, to name a few. It’s easy to identify and empathize with Bob’s frustration, making his moments of defeat (a filthy uniform, a lost sandwich, exasperation with unyielding demands) all the more satisfying. Though it features simple shapes, Perreault’s art is anything but plain—clean lines and bright highlight colors lend visual accessibility to the myriad extraterrestrial characters, and large panels keep the story moving along at a decent clip. In one memorable spread, Bob careens uncontrollably through an asteroid belt back to his ship, demonstrating Perreault’s ability to create strong movement in single-panel illustrations. Ages 7–up. [em](Apr.) [/em]