My Goodreads and Amazon reviews of Kiki Finds Friends by Marty and Amie McCracken (Rating 5) – Inventive and Insightful. Kiki Finds Friends, written by Marty McCracken and his mother Amie, is a charming children’s “space odyssey,” the first in a planned series. I read it with my grandsons. Here’s what we each thought about the book:
“It was totally amazing. After you read the first line, it makes you want to read more. I like how many different experiences Kiki has. I think the mean orbs will learn to be nice, eventually. Frank is kind and smart. You can trust him like a good friend. Maybe the next book will be called ‘Kiki Finds Family.’ I hope he visits lots more solar systems.” (Oscar, age 9)
“The geyser was cool. I liked how the drops hit Kiki’s helmet and then fell off. I was scared when his friend got hit on the head and happy when Kiki saved him. I was glad that Kiki found a cat and more friends. I think they will have a good time together once the mean robots learn their lesson.” (Emmett, age 6)
Kiki Finds Friends is a vividly imagined book about an alien child venturing forth from his home spaceship to explore his universe. Kiki confronts the same problems as real children: Will I make friends? What if others kids are mean to me? Will I look weak or stupid if I ask for help? Can I be curious and scared at the same time? What is a real apology? My grandsons nodded in recognition as Kiki faced these common challenges. The authors strike just the right balance between the unknown and the familiar. Children trust that Kiki will emerge from his adventures safe, yet wiser. As both a developmental psychologist and a writer of adult books (see my Amazon author page and Goodreads author page), I appreciate how the insights are not delivered with heavy-handed moralizing, but with patience and humor. Because his new acquaintances hail from other planets, Kiki takes it in stride that they won’t be like him, a matter-of-fact approach to accepting human differences too. Finally, Kiki Finds Friends is fun to read aloud. Not only do we learn how each alien looks and moves, but how they sound. This allows the narrator to vary the character’s voices and makes sharing this book entertaining for readers and listeners alike. (Ann, age 75)
