SPACEBOY: The epic and funny new children’s book from multi-million bestselling author David Walliams

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Lots of fun, it has a bit of a bonkers ending, but for goodness sake - it's a piece of fiction. I hope this gets children excited about space.

Space Boy is a non-stop fun-fest, with tons and tons of action, a courageous heroine, a funny furry friend at her side, and an alien with a very, very big secret. Mom, I am finished. What a different take on space, and I learnt a couple of new words, you know!" DEFIANT was one of them, hopefully it will not be tested any time soon👀 Like James and the Giant Peach, this heroine has also lost her parents tragically and been sent to awful relatives (here a Dahl-eqsue Aunt Dorothy - think George's awful Grandma). I am a massive fan of David Walliams’ books so I went into this book with high hopes. Thankfully it not only lived up to my high expectations it well and truly surpassed them.

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Adam Stower is the new illustrator for Walliams’s books and this is my second one by him after The World’s Worst Pets. He brings a frenzy to the adventure in his scenes, blowing the wind through your hair. Some of the scenes are drawn like a children’s comic book and I especially loved his illustration for Spaceboy with his metal head and flowing cape. One thing that surprised me with this book was its setting both in time and place. Most of David Walliams’ books are set in present time and in England whereas this book was set in 1960’s USA. I loved getting to read about the space race and have a different kind of supporting cast such as the sheriff and the President of the United States. I had to look up other books by David Wallace, and next on our bookshelves is GANGSTA GRANNY and CODE NAME BANANAS. A new illustrator with a slightly different style, but any reader will still recognise Walliams' famed characters and writing style.

I was glad to see the historical context of the book, a bit of history there for readers, and Walliams actually reins in some of the usual silliness with no Raj or disgusting lunch menus. At times I felt like I was reading Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, but Walliams definitely has his own signature on his work and Dahl, while clearly a strong influence, is not channelled. Adding to David Walliams’ wonderful story were captivating illustrations by Adam Stower. Not only did Adam Stower’s illustrations perfectly complimented the story they helped to elevate this book to a whole new level.

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One night looking up, Ruth spots something blazing across the sky. It's getting closer, and closer, and.... CRASH!!! She knows she must go and see what it is. A plane? A meteor or what she's really hoping for. A flying saucer! Ruth's terrible life is never to be the same as she struggles to hide the alien from her aunt, the sheriff, the FBI, the CIA, the scientific boffins and even the President of America. Thrown into a bouncing, flying, racing, falling, but fabulously fun adventure, Ruth does everything she can to keep her first real friend (besides Yuri) safe. But when the UFO crash-lands in the cornfield, and Ruth rushes to help, she finds a mystery – and an adventure – beyond her wildest dreams… Ruth loves climbing trees, making a mess and throwing stones. But the thing she loves most is space. I honestly don’t have a bad word to say about this book. I loved the writing, the story, the characters, and the illustrations and that is why I can easily see this book becoming a fast favourite with young readers.