They Came in Peace

We Are Definitely Human – written and illustrated by X. Fang
Tundra Books, 2024

The creatures who surprise the unflappable Mr. Li in X. Fang’s newest picture book are definitely human. Well, sort of. They may look oddly dressed and their skin is blue, but Mr. Li is kind. When they offer a barely plausible explanation of who they are, he invites them in.  If you have read X. Fang’s wonderful debut book, Dim Sum Palace, you won’t be surprised at her humor, or her characteristically rounded people and objects peopling the tale.  When extraterrestrials land on earth, they are greeted by friendly and helpful inhabitants of the planet, who dance, eat, and help them fix their spaceship.  In the tradition of Laurent de Brunhoff’s Babar Visits Another Planet, and the work of Jon Agee, children learn that hostility and suspicion are misplaced.  We all have a lot in common.

Mr. Li is not completely irrational. When the strangers, clad in bubbles that look like the leftovers from a 1970s designer, first request help with fixing their “car,” he points out that the stores are all closed. They look bereft, and Mr. Li empathizes with them. Soon they, along with Mrs. Li, are sharing a breakfast. For visitors supposedly from Europe, they are not adept at handling utensils. Even the Li’s dog looks faintly suspicious.  In Fang’s illustrations, shapes, composition, and blank space can suggest anything from frantic activity to calm acceptance of a weird situation.

After breakfast, and some attempts by the “Europeans” to assume the personas of businessmen, athletes, and people who wear hats, it’s time for a visit to the General Store. Where is this store? It could be in Brooklyn, Portland, or Middle America. A burly guy in plaid shirt and a baseball cap, women with striped shirts and crossbody bags, and friendly cashier, are all busy shopping for their DIY projects.  If they notice that one of the strangers has placed a toilet plunger over his face, they are too polite to mention it.

The repetition of the phrase, “we are definitely human,” will appeal to children; how could adults possibly believe something so obviously untrue. But by the time the visitors leave in their vehicle, which has been repaired through friendly cooperation, the insistent reply begins to make sense. On the ground, their new friends stand together and raise their hands in a warm farewell.  Even if the odd crew who came out of nowhere aren’t just like their hosts, they share enough qualities to understand one another.