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“Spacesuit-clad James touches down from an intergalactic commute just in time for the first day of school…Adult readers may understand that the story’s climactic declaration—“It turns out I am the alien here”—carries particular weight given current conversations around immigration and xenophobia…Deeply approachable in tone, the text’s epistolary style and first-person perspective offer emotional insights into the experience of relocation. Charming visual details…add narrative depth to the appealingly spare illustrations…A comforting dispatch about interplanetary acceptance.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“An intrepid youth describes life among alien peers in this interstellar journal account turned school tale…Kwan’s cool-toned drawings combine polychromatic outlining and digitally colored shading that amplifies the story’s fantastical elements.”

—Publishers Weekly

“Diary-style prose captures James’s earnest, often charming perspective…This reassuring, accessible story speaks to both nervous newcomers and their future friends.”

—Horn Book Magazine

I Come from Another Galaxy

Written by James Kwan
Illustrated by James Kwan
Published by Abrams Books for Young Readers

A charming, sci-fi twist on the first day of school genre, featuring a young astronaut whose new classmates are literal aliens

From author-illustrator James Kwan comes an affirming picture book to soothe first day of school jitters—and celebrate what makes us different.

Hello, friends.
I am writing this little book to document my discoveries from outer space.
Things are very different here . . .

James is far away from his home planet of Earth, and in this galaxy, he’s the alien. He has no idea how to fit in with his classmates, who all have googly eyes, slimy tentacles, or noodle arms.

No one here knows how to pronounce his name, the school bus is a UFO, and don’t even get him started on the bathroom! But when it comes time for show and tell, James realizes that he has something special to share.

Primary ISBN: 9781419771149
Publication Date: July 2025
Available As: Hardcover, eBook
Picture Book, Age 04 or older

Community Represented:

Themes: , , , , , , , , , ,

Setting: Fictional Alien Planet

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: Immigrant

Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience

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