Kell and the Detectives

Gr 1–3—Shipwrecked on Earth and desperate to make money, an alien family from the planet Bix decides to make a living by opening Aliens, Inc., an intergalactic event-planning business master-minded by the nine-year-old alien, Kell Smith. In this continuing adventure, Kell makes the startling discovery that he has zigzag fingerprints. Worse, Mrs. Lynx and the Society of Alien Chasers know about the fingerprints and they are on the hunt. To add to the stakes, Kell's mom has just laid a beautiful green egg, Kell's brother. Can Kell keep his fingerprints and his brother under wraps? Kell's observations of Earth and details about life on planet Bix are amusing. The black-and-white line art further enlivens an engaging, accessible story. Kell's struggles to fit in will resonate with readers. Reminiscent of Ray O'Ryan's "Galaxy Zack" (Little Simon).