The art in this is cute, and Burt's imagination of being an alien is a wonderful sub-story with fun illustrations. However, I felt uncomfortable about this being a "foster child's story" as the child makes up a story about his being an alien instead of a foster kid. I'm sure many foster children make up alternate stories about their parents but I feel this story is too short and too adult-oriented to be of comfort or relatable to them.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Burt's Way Home by John Martz is a children's graphic novel that will have you laughing at loud at moments, and somberly thinking about your life at other moments. The story revolves around Burt, a bird-like alien who is stranded on earth and trying to build a contraption to make his way home. His foster mother, Lydia, sees things from her own perspective. Can the two learn to live with each other and come to a mutual understanding?

Overall, Burt's Way Home is like a breath of fresh air. Based on the cover, I wasn't sure to expect, but this book honestly blew my expectations out of the water. It was poignant, touching, and reminded me of watching a Pixar film. This is definitely a graphic novel for children, but I think that adults will appreciate it, too, and see things that children can't. I was so wrapped up in the drama of Burt's journey home and his relationship with his foster mother Lydia. I definitely hope that a sequel is coming soon, because I want to know what happens next! If you're intrigued by the description, you won't regret checking out this book when it comes out in July!

I don't know if it's being republished because of the increase in publication of graphic novels for younger readers but it's worth revisiting because it was delightful in it's premise and the dual story-- Burt trying to use tools around the human, Lydia's, house to transform them into the machine he needs to get back to his home planet, while Lydia wonders how comfortable Burt is and lamenting about how much he's been through while trying to figure out where the TV remote went. Two different motivations but with the heartwarming connection between alien and human that's a little ET meets space odyssey.

Burt is a cool character and for the children's audience it's intended for, engaging.

The concept of this book was beautiful, I just wished that there was more. I wanted to see the story developed between Burt and his foster family. Just a little bit more and the book would have been amazing.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. Another great graphic novel for young kids is about Burt, an alien who is far from home.

I received an electronic ARC from Penguin Random House Canada through NetGalley.
Burt is a young(?) space alien who is stranded on Earth. Readers meet him as he explains where he is and see him longing to go home. A lovely woman, Lydia, has taken him in and made him her own. Readers also see her story interwoven with Burt's. The artwork is fun to look at and study to see more details about their life.
Martz captures the connections between them and leaves readers wondering at the end. Which home did they go to? Was this his imagination all along?

This was a sweet little story. I like the back and forth between Burt and Lydia's points of view.
I can't tell if I like or dislike the open-endedness of the whole thing though. He could very well be an alien but he could also be a child who is foster care. I wish there was a little more clarification on that front, but I did enjoy it.

This was such a cute little book. I loved the illustrations and the multiple points of view. I wanted Burt to find his way home, but I also loved the Lydia was giving him a great home while he was trying to get there. Overall this is a cute story, and I think kids that love comics or space would really like reading about this little alien.

A graphic novel about foster care that centers around Burt, who believes he is an intergalactic traveler who needs to return home to his parents. It was cute and a nice perspective on this.

This was nice but it could have been much better.

Burt is an “intergalactic trans-dimensional time traveller” who is stranded on earth after a cosmic accident damaged his time-and-space travelling device. He is adopted by an older earthling named Lydia. While she does take good care of his physical needs, she seems to miss out on his emotional requirements. All Burt wants is a way to return home to his parents.

The story itself makes for a poignant possibility. And to a certain extent, it delivers on the emotions. Lydia’s haplessness and Burt’s strong sense of ‘hiraeth’ is conveyed clearly. However, this is a picture book that might leave its little readers somewhat bereft of satisfaction because:
1. It doesn’t have a happy ending. Heck, it doesn’t even have a proper ending. It just has a dangling emotional scene at the end.
2. The story is written in a dual style. Lydia’s 1st person thoughts are written on a blue background with a full-page illustration on the other side of the page. Burt’s 1st person pov is written in a graphic comic format, with four story panels on each page. Having both the narratives in first person is confusing because the only clue about the change in narrative is the change in storyboarding. Younger children might get confused with this approach.

The illustrations are in shades of dominant blue with black and white flourishes. The colour palette suits the story. The sketchwork is quite simplistic yet impactful. I liked how Burt was drawn but couldn’t understand why Lydia was portrayed more like a mouse/rat than a lady. Even her neighbour is portrayed as a beaver.(?) Why this decision when the story has them living just as humans do?

Other reviews mention that the story works as a metaphor for the foster care system. This wasn’t obvious to me at all; I was in a literal sci-fi mode and hence missed out on anything allegorical. But if their observation is right, why is the story so melancholy? It will end up depressing children who are in the foster system even more. Surely they deserve more happiness and require more support for their wellbeing.

Overall, I would have loved the story much more if it had tackled the above issues. It had great potential to be an emotionally impactful experience but it ended up as an average read for me.

My thanks to Penguin Random House Canada, Tundra, and NetGalley for the ARC of “Burt's Way Home”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

I thought the book was cute. I liked the opposing perspectives and thought the story worked out nicely. I also enjoyed the illustrations and colour scheme. It had a good message and I think children will like this one.

Burt's Way Home is a really fabulous book. It is a good way to introduce children to the foster care system. To show them that not all children come from the same home dynamic. But it also doesn't draw a ton of attention to it. It can be a conversation starter. It's also a reflection of some children so they can see their life in a book. It is such a cute book and I can't wait to share it with my future students.

I got a little teary reading this one!

Burt is trying to get back to his h0me planet, and Lydia is just trying to support him and give him a place to land right now. Told in two distinct voices, it illustrates the concept of foster care, and of longing to be home again.

I thought this was incredibly sweet, but also heart wrenching. I really enjoyed the metaphor for foster care, and the separation of the thoughts of Burt and Lydia. Lydia's contributions were matter of fact and grounded in reality, while Burt's were imaginative and told in comic strips. I like seeing the contrast between them, and the connection they were able to make at the end.

Overall, I had a great time reading this book!

I had tears in my eyes half way through. It’s a sad story about a little boy who is in foster care. He is trying to get back to his “home” planet. It’s nice seeing Lydia supporting what he is going through as you can only imagine what’s going on in this young boys head

4/5 stars

This hit me in the feels. However, the ending fell a bit flat. We need more people like Lydia though.

4.5 *stars*

I read this book through my kindle and it was not readable at all. Keep that in mind! I switched to NetGalley app on my phone to read this one.
I really liked the color scheme and illustrations. I really enjoyed the fact that this book is reminiscent of children's imaginations. How interesting and powerful it is.

Although I enjoyed it, it seems that this book was a little too short. Something was missing.

Thanks!

Burt is in foster care of Lydia. Burt is convinced he has lost his way from his parents, who are left in a different dimension. He has a thingamajig that is supposed to take him back to them, but it's broken. He spends the book trying to repair it, while Lydia looks on and supports him as best as he can.

Is Burt truly lost? He makes a good case. Does Burt have trouble accepting Lydia as his carer? Maybe.

It's an enigmatic little book, that poses a lot of questions and doesn't answer them. Which is fine, the questions are interesting enough. It's quite moving to see how Lydia handles Burt.

The art is great, it's just the sweetest.

Thank you, Penguin Random House Canada, for the advance reading copy.

A very wintery vibe read I would say. I like the illustrations and the colour pattern used in sync with the characters and the story.

However, I would have loved the book better if it was a bit on a livelier side regarding the presentation considering the target audience.

On surface , it's a story of an alien stranded on Earth , who is desperately trying to go back home. But it is also a story of a lovely lady who took her in and despite his weird ways , loves and cares for him. It can be a metaphor for kids who feel lost or foster care or just finding love , no matter where you come from. This was a really sweet story and the art work was so beautiful. Despite being set in a cold city , this one is full of warmth.

I like the concept of this book, but it took me a few read throughs to understand it was about foster care. With that context in mind, this book is a good attempt to normalize foster care and have a different story from what kids who experience the foster care system have had to turn to in the past.

It is a simple graphic novel format which would work well for 3-5th grade. I am still unsure of the comparison between "intergalactically stranded" alien and foster care, but I think with the right reader this would be a comforting book.