A Long Way Away: A Two-Way Story

From the farthest reaches of outer space to the deepest ocean on Earth and back again, Frank Viva (Along a Long Road) takes readers on a roundtrip ride. Using some now-familiar Viva motifs, especially the road that winds through the book, one little alien (looking somewhat like a turnip with tentacles and one antenna) leaves home with his parents' hug and blessing. Bathed in yellow, this alien follows that yellow paint road, making twists and turns, finally landing with a splash in the ocean, ending up at the bottom of the ocean, sleeping among the creatures. A page turn reveals a large yellow arrow pointing up -- and the reversed direction allows a return journey, words and cadence backtracking through the book until our alien is greeted by his family once again. As he did in Along a Long Road, Viva created this back-and-forth masterpiece out of one long sheet of paper -- this time twenty-six feet of it. The eye never tires of following this little turnip's path, nor marveling at what can be accomplished with a limited palette (here mostly primary colors on black). The trip is the thing here -- leaving home, seeing new planets, making new friends, and, when it is all over, returning to the loving embrace of family. Deceptively simple, this is one story a parent or child will want to return to again and again. robin l. smith