In this fantastical picture book perfect for fans of Aaron Becker’s Journey, a human child and a child from another planet discover that no matter where you live or what your books are like, reading—and sharing—are universal.
A cosmic celebration of the joy of sharing books and having new experiences awaits readers in this captivating wordless picture book for ages 4 to 8. A child busy reading in a treehouse spots a family who seems to have just arrived on Earth for a picnic. The youngest member of the alien family holds a mind-bendingly strange object. Could it be a book from outer space? At the end of this gorgeously illustrated tale, each child returns home with a book from far away to remember a kind stranger. Sure to take its place among gently fantastical favorites like Sophie Blackall’s If You Come to Earth and Carson Ellis’s Du Iz Tak?, this picture book will enchant and delight curious kids and book lovers everywhere.
Bruce Handy is the author of The Happiness of a Dog with a Ball in its Mouth, illustrated by Hyewon Yum. He is also a journalist, essayist, critic, and the author of Wild Things: The Joy of Reading Children’s Literature as an Adult. He lives in New York with his wife, the novelist Helen Schulman.
View titles by Bruce Handy
Julie Benbassat is an illustrator based in New Jersey. Since graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2019, Julie has created illustrations for The New Yorker, the New York Times, and NPR, among others. She is the illustrator of The Screaming Hairy Armadillo and 76 Other Animals with Weird, Wild Names (Workman, 2020). The Book from Far Away is her first picture book.
View titles by Julie Benbassat
SELECTION
| 2023 Society of Illustrators' Founders Award
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• Sri Lanka
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• St.Pier,Miquel.
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• Zimbabwe
A Bank Street Best Children's Book
“A magical, wordless tribute to the universal power of reading.” — We Are Teachers
"Amazing! Bruce and Julie have created a wonderful addition to the wordless book canon. Julie’s beautiful art is rich with detail and visual invention. She shows everyday and otherworldly incidents through flowing, organic compositions that carry the reader on a delightfully strange, compelling, and heartwarming adventure." — David Wiesner, 3-time winner of the Caldecott Medal
“This wordless tale speaks volumes…..emphasizes that kids understand kids, no matter their origin, and that books have universal appeal—literally. Readers will love poring over the clearly composed artwork’s luminous, wondrously imaginative, interplanetary details.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Intriguing….Benbasset’s distinctive renderings of the outer space family and its belongings exude charm.”— Publishers Weekly
"“Alluring….beautifully conceived by Handy and Benbasset, dazzles….” — Nell Beram, Shelf Awareness
“Stunning … will inspire and empower storytellers AND storymakers.” — Kitlitbrain
“The sweetest tale of connection and love of reading. No matter what form reading comes in—whether it be on paper, online, audio, or even extraterrestrial, we are all connected to great stories. Each page is packed with adventure and curiosity and I promise you’ll love the journey!” — Squarepegsroundworld
In this fantastical picture book perfect for fans of Aaron Becker’s Journey, a human child and a child from another planet discover that no matter where you live or what your books are like, reading—and sharing—are universal.
A cosmic celebration of the joy of sharing books and having new experiences awaits readers in this captivating wordless picture book for ages 4 to 8. A child busy reading in a treehouse spots a family who seems to have just arrived on Earth for a picnic. The youngest member of the alien family holds a mind-bendingly strange object. Could it be a book from outer space? At the end of this gorgeously illustrated tale, each child returns home with a book from far away to remember a kind stranger. Sure to take its place among gently fantastical favorites like Sophie Blackall’s If You Come to Earth and Carson Ellis’s Du Iz Tak?, this picture book will enchant and delight curious kids and book lovers everywhere.
Creators
Bruce Handy is the author of The Happiness of a Dog with a Ball in its Mouth, illustrated by Hyewon Yum. He is also a journalist, essayist, critic, and the author of Wild Things: The Joy of Reading Children’s Literature as an Adult. He lives in New York with his wife, the novelist Helen Schulman.
View titles by Bruce Handy
Julie Benbassat is an illustrator based in New Jersey. Since graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2019, Julie has created illustrations for The New Yorker, the New York Times, and NPR, among others. She is the illustrator of The Screaming Hairy Armadillo and 76 Other Animals with Weird, Wild Names (Workman, 2020). The Book from Far Away is her first picture book.
View titles by Julie Benbassat
Awards
SELECTION
| 2023 Society of Illustrators' Founders Award
Rights
Available for sale exclusive:
• Afghanistan
• Aland Islands
• Albania
• Algeria
• Andorra
• Angola
• Anguilla
• Antarctica
• Antigua/Barbuda
• Argentina
• Armenia
• Aruba
• Australia
• Austria
• Azerbaijan
• Bahamas
• Bahrain
• Bangladesh
• Barbados
• Belarus
• Belgium
• Belize
• Benin
• Bermuda
• Bhutan
• Bolivia
• Bonaire, Saba
• Bosnia Herzeg.
• Botswana
• Bouvet Island
• Brazil
• Brit.Ind.Oc.Ter
• Brit.Virgin Is.
• Brunei
• Bulgaria
• Burkina Faso
• Burundi
• Cambodia
• Cameroon
• Canada
• Cape Verde
• Cayman Islands
• Centr.Afr.Rep.
• Chad
• Chile
• China
• Christmas Islnd
• Cocos Islands
• Colombia
• Comoro Is.
• Congo
• Cook Islands
• Costa Rica
• Croatia
• Cuba
• Curacao
• Cyprus
• Czech Republic
• Dem. Rep. Congo
• Denmark
• Djibouti
• Dominica
• Dominican Rep.
• Ecuador
• Egypt
• El Salvador
• Equatorial Gui.
• Eritrea
• Estonia
• Ethiopia
• Falkland Islnds
• Faroe Islands
• Fiji
• Finland
• France
• Fren.Polynesia
• French Guinea
• Gabon
• Gambia
• Georgia
• Germany
• Ghana
• Gibraltar
• Greece
• Greenland
• Grenada
• Guadeloupe
• Guam
• Guatemala
• Guernsey
• Guinea Republic
• Guinea-Bissau
• Guyana
• Haiti
• Heard/McDon.Isl
• Honduras
• Hong Kong
• Hungary
• Iceland
• India
• Indonesia
• Iran
• Iraq
• Ireland
• Isle of Man
• Israel
• Italy
• Ivory Coast
• Jamaica
• Japan
• Jersey
• Jordan
• Kazakhstan
• Kenya
• Kiribati
• Kuwait
• Kyrgyzstan
• Laos
• Latvia
• Lebanon
• Lesotho
• Liberia
• Libya
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Macau
• Macedonia
• Madagascar
• Malawi
• Malaysia
• Maldives
• Mali
• Malta
• Marshall island
• Martinique
• Mauritania
• Mauritius
• Mayotte
• Mexico
• Micronesia
• Minor Outl.Ins.
• Moldavia
• Monaco
• Mongolia
• Montenegro
• Montserrat
• Morocco
• Mozambique
• Myanmar
• Namibia
• Nauru
• Nepal
• Netherlands
• New Caledonia
• New Zealand
• Nicaragua
• Niger
• Nigeria
• Niue
• Norfolk Island
• North Korea
• North Mariana
• Norway
• Oman
• Pakistan
• Palau
• Palestinian Ter
• Panama
• PapuaNewGuinea
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Philippines
• Pitcairn Islnds
• Poland
• Portugal
• Puerto Rico
• Qatar
• Reunion Island
• Romania
• Russian Fed.
• Rwanda
• S. Sandwich Ins
• Saint Martin
• Samoa,American
• San Marino
• SaoTome Princip
• Saudi Arabia
• Senegal
• Serbia
• Seychelles
• Sierra Leone
• Singapore
• Sint Maarten
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Solomon Islands
• Somalia
• South Africa
• South Korea
• South Sudan
• Spain
• Sri Lanka
• St Barthelemy
• St. Helena
• St. Lucia
• St. Vincent
• St.Chr.,Nevis
• St.Pier,Miquel.
• Sth Terr. Franc
• Sudan
• Suriname
• Svalbard
• Swaziland
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Syria
• Tadschikistan
• Taiwan
• Tanzania
• Thailand
• Timor-Leste
• Togo
• Tokelau Islands
• Tonga
• Trinidad,Tobago
• Tunisia
• Turkey
• Turkmenistan
• Turks&Caicos Is
• Tuvalu
• US Virgin Is.
• USA
• Uganda
• Ukraine
• Unit.Arab Emir.
• United Kingdom
• Uruguay
• Uzbekistan
• Vanuatu
• Vatican City
• Venezuela
• Vietnam
• Wallis,Futuna
• West Saharan
• Western Samoa
• Yemen
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe
Praise
A Bank Street Best Children's Book
“A magical, wordless tribute to the universal power of reading.” — We Are Teachers
"Amazing! Bruce and Julie have created a wonderful addition to the wordless book canon. Julie’s beautiful art is rich with detail and visual invention. She shows everyday and otherworldly incidents through flowing, organic compositions that carry the reader on a delightfully strange, compelling, and heartwarming adventure." — David Wiesner, 3-time winner of the Caldecott Medal
“This wordless tale speaks volumes…..emphasizes that kids understand kids, no matter their origin, and that books have universal appeal—literally. Readers will love poring over the clearly composed artwork’s luminous, wondrously imaginative, interplanetary details.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Intriguing….Benbasset’s distinctive renderings of the outer space family and its belongings exude charm.”— Publishers Weekly
"“Alluring….beautifully conceived by Handy and Benbasset, dazzles….” — Nell Beram, Shelf Awareness
“Stunning … will inspire and empower storytellers AND storymakers.” — Kitlitbrain
“The sweetest tale of connection and love of reading. No matter what form reading comes in—whether it be on paper, online, audio, or even extraterrestrial, we are all connected to great stories. Each page is packed with adventure and curiosity and I promise you’ll love the journey!” — Squarepegsroundworld
