Life on Mars

 Shirley J.     Juvenile Fiction      An astronaut explores the planet Mars carrying a present for whoever/whatever he encounters there

Life on Mars by Jon Agee      32 pages            

Really cute story about a young astronaut who is sure there is life on the planet Mars.  On a solitary mission he walks all over the planet just knowing in his bones there is life there and he wants to find it.  He even brings a present for said life, a box of cupcakes!  He journeys here and there but does not meet any new life forms until he comes across a lone flower.   There are no other flowers just this one.  He picks it from the ground and puts it away to take back to earth to prove there is something alive and growing on Mars.   Little does the astronaut know that a huge alien creature has been stalking him the whole way, of course, the reader and those listening to the story know.   They see it in the illustrations but it stays behind the astronaut and he never sees it.   Finally, the young astronaut returns to earth sad not to have made a discovery of other life on Mars, though, he is happy with the flower he can show everyone when he gets back.    He is still carrying the wrapped box bedecked with ribbons that hold the cupcakes.  Since there was no one to give them to he decides to open the box himself and enjoy the cupcakes inside but lo and behold!   The box is empty!    That was some skilled Martian to spirit those cupcakes away while the astronaut carried them and had no idea what happened.   I recommend this book for listeners up to kindergarten, maybe first grade.