By: Adam Gustavson

When it’s time for the aliens to go home, the excuses begin . . .

The alien kids are having a great time invading planet Earth. When their parents show up with spaceship tractor beams, they don’t want to go home. They aren’t ready, they don’t have their shoes on, and besides, it’s not even dark yet!

Adam Gustavson’s illustrations are expressive, hilarious, and also gorgeous works of art. But most importantly, young beings of any species are sure to get their giggles out and relate to wanting the fun to go on . . . and on . . . and on.

If you like this book, youll enjoy these:
The Froggies Do NOT Want to Sleep

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Author & Illustrator

Adam Gustavson, author-illustrator

Adam Gustavson received his bachelor’s degree in illustration from Rowan University and his master’s from the School of Visual Arts in New York. He has illustrated several picture books, including the award-winning Good Luck, Mrs. K!; Long-Armed Ludy and the First Women’s Olympics; Flip: How the Frisbee Took Flight; and Dirty Rats? He is the author-illustrator of The Froggies Do NOT Want to Sleep, the companion title to The Aliens Are NOT Ready To Go Home.

Read more about Adam.

Awards & Honors

• Coming soon!

Editorial Reviews

Kirkus Reviews

Nothings more fun than a playdateand nothings more frustrating than being told its time to go home.
Creatures from far-off planets have convened for an excursion in a small farming town on Earth. The good times must come to an end now, but the young participants make excuses to prolong the amusement. They have to put their shoes onwhich could take a while, given how many feet some of them have. Besides, it isnt even dark yet, and theyre in the midst of a complicated game; the accompanying image depicts the youngsters inadvertently creating crop circles as they romp through a cornfield. As the extraterrestrials ask to watch a film, the illustrations portray them donning 3-D glasses at a drive-in movie. Could this playdate turn into a sleepover? Pretty please? The narrative consists of the simplest of prosethe young aliens pleas to stay just a little bit longerwhile the highly detailed, painterly artwork does the heavy lifting, imbuing the story with action, humor, and a bit of mystery. From a hairy creature who looks like a mashup of the Addams Familys Cousin Itt and Star Wars Chewbacca to a purple spotted fellow with a single eye, each alien is strange but thoroughly delightful; luckily, humans arent around to witness the havoc they inadvertently wreak. At last, searchlights from an array of spaceships beam up the miscreants, who just might have carried some surprising Earth treasures with them.
Goofy, highly imaginative, and immense fun.

Foreword Reviews

A muted palette and visible brushstrokes lend the impression of stepping into a painting in this cosmic picture book that will delight children and feel familiar to their guardians. A playdate on Earth is coming to a closejust as soon as the alien children complete their crop circle, finish their movie, and find their shoes (all five of them). When talk of a sleepover starts brewing, tractor beams from alien ships overhead declare its time to go homeready or not.

Details

Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-62354-494-2

Ages: 47
Page count: 40
11 x 81/2

Publication date: June 3, 2025

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