2/5 stars.
I really wanted to enjoy "Burt's Way Home," a short, illustrated book by John Martz. This books offers a whimsical journey through its illustrations, but the storyline lacks depth and seems to fall short in many ways.

My biggest issue with this book was that I am very confused about who the target audience is supposed to be. At first glance, it appears to be a book for children because of the simple illustrations and short length of the book, but the actually wording inside was for more advanced readers - "intergalactic," "transdimensional," and "chronomorphic."

My other major is that, even though this book is apparently about the struggles of foster care, that is not extremely clear from the first read through.

I did enjoy the sci-fi aspects, the illustrations, and color palette but fell short everywhere else for me. Overall, it falls short of creating a memorable literary experience. 2/5 stars.

A story with two separate POVs and two separate meanings.

One, is a little boy's whose parents got lost in space and he has been tasked with finding them.
The other one, is an older lady's who's caring (fostering) the boy.
And depending whose POV you follow, you get a different story.

(view spoiler)

I really liked that duality, the art style and the meaning behind the story. I can't remember the last time I read something about adoption/fostering.

What I wasn't a fan of, was how abrupt the ending was. It felt like there was no resolution and I think I'd like a more "the little boy is still dealing with his parents' absence, but has come out of his cell and is adjusting to his new life" type of ending. Oh well, the whole book is still nice tho.

This book straddles the line between long picture book and graphic novel. The approach to the topic makes it lean a bit older. The illustrations are simple and easy to follow, helping readers interpret facts that are not stated. The side-by-side story telling is a nice touch.

Burt is lost and looking for a way home. He believes - the way only a small child can believe - that his parents are out there looking for him, and if he can only fix his chronomorphic engine properly, he can join them. At the same time, Lydia is very concerned; Burt is her foster child, and he is not settling in. The two stories are interwoven in a way that is supported by the pictures, which make it clear that Burt and Lydia are very different in fundamental ways, and yet still very much the same, and leaves the ending open for the imagination of the reader. Beautifully and yet simply written, this book will appeal to a wide range of readers, from toddlers to teens.

You never know when a story will make you cry. Burt wants to find a way home, through the stars to his mother and father. His foster mother knows what he's doing, and does all she can to make him comfortable. That ending panel just pierces through the heart.

A lovely story for kids in the foster care system. The illustrations are wonderful. It’s a quick graphic novel so perfect for younger kids.

It didn't make any sense. And then it just ended. ?! I was disappointed. It started out so sweet and cute and then it just...went.

Thanks to Penguin Random House Canada Tundra Books and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in return for my honest review.
A cute book about Burt, who is an extra-terrestrial space traveler who arrives here on Earth, He is taken in by a lady and lives with her as he struggles to figure out how to get back to his home planet. The illustrations are simple yet fun, and this is a good book to read to your children. Despite tries to make out his own antennae to help him navigate home, and we also see how much this elderly lady likes him and worries about him. By the end Burt has gotten to the top of the mountain and we will not know if he succeeds or fails, but our little old lady is there to stand and wait with him. A nice book.

Burt is an "intergalactic, transdimensional time traveler". His parents, also time travelers, have been separated from him during a journey, and now he's stuck on Earth, living with a woman named Lydia, until he can figure out the antiquated Earth technology and find his way home. Lydia, however, tells a very different story. A graphic novel created with two narratives, Burt's Way Home is an aching look at a child in foster care, dealing with confusion and grief, and the caregiver who tirelessly works at understanding him, supporting him, and caring for him. Illustrated in two-color blue and white, with bold black outlines, John Martz creates an unfussy atmosphere that carries cartoon appeal while delivering a poignant message. This is a completely different story about grief and loss, and I want this in my collection first and foremost, for any child that may need it - for a child living in a foster situation, or for any children whose primary caregiver is not their parents: a grandparent, an aunt or uncle, an older sibling, a family friend - and to explain and engender empathy in others. Sensitive and respectful, this is a great book to have in your collections.

Burt's Way Home was originally published in 2016 by Koyama Press.

Unexpectedly adorable. At first I was not sure how I was feeling about it, but it was just charming. Some readers may be confused about the parallel storytelling.

For libraries: A very unique story for early graphic readers.

This was heart wrenching but I absolutely loved that! I know negative endings aren’t everyone’s thing but it’s way more realistic than the usual predictable happy endings. Beautiful drawings as well! I would definitely recommend this to someone else.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Children’s for the ARC of this.

Emotional and open ended, this story leaves much to the reader to decide and add context to. As an adult, I felt that Burt was a traumatized child in foster care and Lydia was trying her best to help him settle in, and that the open ending was leading to her taking him back to her/their home. My 5 year old was disappointed by the ending and said “I wish we’d gotten to see him go home” and took it as a literal space and time traveler, while I thought that was Burt’s imagining to cover the hurt of why his parents aren’t there. I like a more clear message, even if it’s painful, because I think it’s helpful for children to work through hard feelings with a book, and this felt too abstract to me, while not quite feeling like just a science fiction story.

This is my first book by John Martz and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The book tells the story of Burt an alien who is left stranded on earth . It's a beautiful story about home and what home means for all of us. I thoroughly enjoyed this delightful read about home, a sense of belonging and the emotions associated with it. The author did a fabulous job. Highly recommend it. A huge thanks to the publisher for my complimentary copy.

OMG Stop whatever you are doing and go read this sweet, sad yet happy tale. Lydia is so patient and kind to Burt. She is exactly what a foster parent should be like. I loved this book so much. I think everyone should read this. Social Workers should keep this handy.

Is really well desgined and my son abouslety love the earth. He fairly enjoyed how the shapes all formed. The colours were a bit dull from a parents perspective and the book came across negative to me.

This is a graphic novel with heart! Burt is stuck on Earth, a victim of an intergalactic hiccup, and will do whatever it takes to find his way home. The beautifully stark illustrations and dual point of view narrative make this a nuanced book with a wonderful message. Love takes all shapes and forms, and we will often climb mountains to get to the ones we call family.

This was sort of a weird one. Not really the book for me, but I could see the appeal for a young reader delving into graphic novels. The story lacked excitement.

This book made my daughter so sad. She said she would try just as hard to get home to me and her father if she was burt. The colors of the illustrations keep the mood of the book solemn, and I enjoyed that it was set up like a graphic novel. The actual story was heart wrenching and of course the ending being a sort of happy ending was nice.

A clever and endearing story told from two perspectives by a master storyteller through well-chosen words and thoughtful, charming illustrations.

The drawing style is crisp and the story has momentum. Unfortunately, I got confused regarding which parts of the text were meant to be Burt’s thoughts and which were from the mother figure.

The jacket blurbs told me that this story was symbolic. I found it rather straightforward fantasy. If there were word balloons I would have had an easier time following the dialogue. Using a different lettering style, even italics, would have helped me out. I read Burt’s Way Home on an iPad in pdf format. It is likely if I had a physical book I would have better understood how the characters were interacting.