The creature from Down Under

Bob

The affection between an alien and a boy in the film “E.T.” is channeled by a girl and a “zombie” in this magical novel. Tenyear-old Livy returns from far-off America to drought-stricken Australia to visit Gran, remembering little from her last visit, five years ago. But memories surface around the small green guy in a ragged chicken costume, hiding in her closet. Bob has patiently waited for Livy to fulfill a promise — to find out where he comes from and how to get him home. The two distinctively and amiably narrate alternating chapters, the writing itself snappy, sweet and complete with crisp lists and tender exchanges. A dictionary, chess pieces, wells, rain and mothers figure in. Perfect for reading aloud or independent reading, this comfortably old-fashioned tale refreshes age-old themes of belonging, friendship, family and the power of story.

Saffron Ice Cream

A family heads for Coney Island in this rollicking story about culture and acculturation. Drawing on her own childhood, an Iranian American author and illustrator captures the mixed emotions of her first day at the beach in a new land — longing and hopes, confusion and wonder. Whimsical paintings, wild in color, teem with wistful memories — her best friend back in Iran, times at the Caspian Sea, male and female sections of the beach, scary Islamic guards upholding segregation rules, and that beloved saffron ice cream. New experiences unfold with unexpected ease and pleasure. Rashin sees all kinds of people mixed together, finds a new friend, tries a chocolate crunch cone, and asks, “What are the rules for the beach?” The answer: Stay where the lifeguard can see you and “have fun, fun, fun.” Not too onerous and decidedly forward-looking. Otis and Will Discover the Deep: The Record-Setting Dive of the Bathysphere

In 1930, Otis Barton and Will Beebe together pioneer exploration of the ocean deep, according to this breath-taking story of their first dive off Bermuda in a 5,000-pound submersible. They cram themselves into a space no bigger than a closet; deal with life-and-death problems (cold, dark, leaks, and even an electrical fire); and see what no one has seen before — waters, 800 feet down, crowded with ethereal life, wondrously reproduced on a majestic gatefold and on the informative endpapers. Extensive back matter further underscores their ingenuity, courage, passion and collaborative spirit. Otis is an engineer and Will a marine biologist. Vignettes about their childhood interests (building and nature, respectively) add definite kid appeal. Meticulous research underpins everything with fascinating detail and sometimes terrifying drama, inextricably intertwined in this tribute to STEM, teamwork and the “last frontier on Earth.”

A House That Once Was

Nostalgia? A mood piece? Neither. This gently spirited picture book focuses on a falling-down house deep in the woods and high on a hill to develop the intriguing interplay of mystery and curiosity, adventure and conjecture. A boy and girl come upon what “once was but now isn’t a home,” climbing through a broken window to find books, a model airplane, art supplies and food still in place. Question: “Who was this someone who left without packing/ someone who’s gone but still everywhere?” With clues aplenty, the kids throw out ideas. And, of course, readers can play, too. Charming free verse is extended by art, done with two different (and complex) techniques — mottled India ink work for the present day and fuller oil paintings for imagined scenes. The take-home imperative is clear: Pay attention because possibilities are everywhere.

Julián Is a Mermaid

What does it mean to be a boy? In this groundbreaking picture book, young Julián first daydreams of being a mermaid and then makes his dream come true. Inspired by three stunning women on the subway, he uses filmy curtains to make his fishtail and fern fronds for a headdress. His warm and watchful abuela offers the final touch. Now dressed up, he has somewhere to go — a beach parade that’s festive, flamboyant and open to folks of many shapes, colors and ages. Bodies, some supple and some ample, swim through several standout underwater scenes. Overall, muted watercolor and gouache paintings are fancy and fanciful, expressive and expansive. In time for Pride Weekend, here’s a happy picture book that challenges traditional gender stereotypes, rendering one boy free to be himself.

Water Land: Land and Water Forms Around the World

Way back in 1960, Sam Cooke admitted in a hit song, “Don’t know much about geography.” He might have learned a thing or two from this clever visual glossary of twelve words, presented in tactile Montessori style and paired to underscore connections, concepts and contrasts. As an example, three kidney-shaped die-cuts morph from a system of lakes on one page into an archipelago on the next. Then, too, consider island/lake, strait/isthmus and gulf/peninsula. Drawing welcome attention to physical geography, kids of all colors move across sunny yellow pages — fishing, camping, windsurfing, beachcombing and swimming. As wrap-up, a splashy foldout pulls together definitions, a world map and lists of where in the world to find what. Thus, Bay Area author Christy Hale goes general and global to juxtapose local forms. Make your own pairings. Alcatraz and San Francisco Bay, anyone?

Susan Faust is a member of the Association for Library Service to Children, most recently serving on the 2018 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award selection committee. She was a librarian at Katherine Delmar Burke School in San Francisco for 33 years. Email: books@sfchronicle.com