Kisses from Space

Beginning with an invitation to “gather round, my sweet dragons—your mama is back,” Polaris Dawn crewmember Menon, in collaboration with Vasek, pens this affectionate ode to adventure and familial connection on Earth, and beyond. Rigorously rhyming verse that traces how “my mission to space/ took me far and away” next delineates the family’s plan for passing the time apart. As the mother of dragons prepares for her voyage via extensive training—sea swimming, mountain climbing—she gathers seashells and rocks to take to her young, while they in turn tuck a teddy bear into her suitcase. Harkness’s digitally finished sculpted illustrations lend a three-dimensional, toylike feel to the sweet-faced dragon family, landscapes visited, and even the mama dragon’s trip to space, where, “Shooting and falling,/ it came from afar./ I knew when I saw it—/ I would bring you a star!” It’s a reassuring work for families spending time apart, assuring that, “not even the mountains,/ the sea, or the stars/ could ever compare/ to this family of ours.” Includes a closing note. Ages 4–8. (June)