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We Are Definitely Human

by X. Fang

CCBC Review:

When a midnight racket draws Mr. Li to his yard, he finds three strangers. Bulbous eyes, blue skin, and with a shape “very hard to describe,” the obviously extraterrestrial beings declare they are “DEFINITELY human” and “having car trouble.” Mr. Li explains that the car repair will have to wait until daytime when stores are open and offers his home for the night. Although surprised by the visitors’ unique appearance and behavior the next morning, customers at the general store politely accept the differences and offer to help fix their car. With tools, food, and music from a radio, the community pitches in with a will to repair the “car” —a hot pink spherical spaceship. The gathering evolves into a party, although the guests require explanations of dancing and eating (hot dogs belong in the mouth, not the ear). With their vehicle mended, the visitors depart into the sky, carrying the memory of meeting those who “do what kind humans do—offer help to those in need.” The message of kindness steers clear of sentimentality or didacticism by sticking to the hilariously deadpan delivery, augmented by the counterpoint between matter-of-fact text and illustrations that show the aliens in their other-worldly glory. Highly Commended, 2025 Charlotte Zolotow Award ©2025 Cooperative Children’s Book Center

Illustrated by X. Fang

CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 4-8
Age Range: PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7) Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format: Picture book
Subjects: Asian Americans Community East Asian People Extraterrestrials Humor Kindness Vehicles and Transportation Visual Counterpoint
Diversity subject: Asian

Publisher: Tundra
Publish Year: 2024
Pages: 48
ISBN: 9781774882023
CCBC Location: Picture Book, Fang

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