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The Boy #3

The Way Back Home

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When a boy discovers a single-propeller airplane in his closet, he does what any young adventurer would He flies it into outer space! Millions of miles from Earth, the plane begins to sputter and quake, its fuel tank on empty. The boy executes a daring landing on the moon . . . but there's no telling what kind of slimy, slithering, tentacled, fang-toothed monsters lurk in the darkness! (Plus, it's dark and lonely out there.) Coincidentally, engine trouble has stranded a young Martian on the other side of the moon, and he's just as frightened and alone.

32 pages, Hardcover

Published April 10, 2008

23 people are currently reading
1,378 people want to read

About the author

Oliver Jeffers

98books2,690followers
Oliver Jeffers' work takes many forms. His distinctive paintings have been exhibited in galleries worldwide, and HarperCollins UK and Penguin USA publish his award-winning picture books, now translated into over 30 languages.

In 2007, Jeffers was the official illustrator for World Book Day, and in 2008 Lost and Found became Oliver's first book to made into animation by London-based Studio AKA.

Jeffers won a NY Emmy in 2010 for his collaborative work with the artist and director Mac Premo, and in 2013 Jeffers co-directed the video for U2's Ordinary Love with Premo. Originally from Belfast, Northern Ireland, Jeffers now lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.

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5 stars
1,552 (38%)
4 stars
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3 stars
781 (19%)
2 stars
139 (3%)
1 star
27 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 417 reviews
Profile Image for Maede.
455 reviews654 followers
June 2, 2024
اگر یه هواپیما تو کمد خونه‌� پیدا کنی چکار می‌کنی�
خب معلومه! باید سوارش بشی، کلی باهاش پرواز کنی و بری تو فضا. اگر هواپیما هم خراب شد می‌تون� روی ماه فرود بیای. به همین راحتی

حس می‌کن� خوندن کتاب‌ها� کودک می‌تون� از روی دوش بزرگ‌تره� برای لحظاتی بار عقلانیت رو برداره. هر روز زندگی واقعی در چهارچوب‌های� سفت و سخت «آنچه شدنیه» و «آنچه ضروریه» می‌گذر� و این درسته اما خسته‌کننده‌س�. کتاب‌ها� مثل این مغزت رو می‌بر� به تنظیمات کارخونه. هرچیزی که می‌تون� بهش فکر کنی شدنیه. میشه با هواپیما رفت ماه؟ چرا که نه. وقتی کسی میگه دوست دارم ذهنم رو آزاد کنم، فکر کنم بخشیش آزادی از بار واقعیته و این کتاب‌ه� بخشی از راهکارند

این کتاب فعلا چهار جلده و این جلد سومه. بقیه رو هم به زودی می‌خون� و آپلود می‌کن�

کتاب رو می‌تونی� از اینجا دانلود کنید


۱۴۰۳/۳/۱۳
Profile Image for Melki.
6,989 reviews2,559 followers
July 6, 2017
Two of Jeffers' toothpick-legged characters get marooned on the moon, and must work together to figure out how each of them can get home. Cute, though not as endearing as some of the author's other books.
Profile Image for Sophia Triad.
2,241 reviews3,717 followers
April 30, 2019
Beautiful book. Very imaginative!
One of our favourite books lately.
A little boy finds an aeroplane in his closet and he flies to the moon, where he becomes friend with a Martian. They need to help each other and work with each other in order to go back home.
Profile Image for Kelli.
922 reviews438 followers
May 8, 2017
I'm on an Oliver Jeffers kick. This book is pretty adorable. A boy and an alien, both stuck on the moon, work together to problem solve. You can't really get more different than these two, so I love the underlying message and the ending is fabulous!
Profile Image for Yeasin Reza.
470 reviews78 followers
February 23, 2024
'সঙ্গ' বা Company বিষয়ট� নিয়� এত� সুন্দর নিটো� গল্প! মন খানিকট� খারা� ছিলো� বইটি এক লহমায় মন ভালো কর� দিলো�
Profile Image for Parastoo Khalili.
198 reviews447 followers
June 3, 2024
برای چالش امسالم قرار بود هیچگونه کتاب کودک نخونم.
ولی یهو به خودم اومدم دیدم هر سه جلد این کتاب رو دانلود کرده و مطالعه شد :))
خیلی زیبا بود.
Profile Image for Sara.
1,661 reviews502 followers
March 8, 2024
کاش میشد منم برم کمدمو بگردم یه هواپیما پیدا کنم که به طرز معجزه آسایی برسه به ماه و همونجا بشینم...
Profile Image for Neko.
518 reviews43 followers
July 17, 2016
I have READ this book soooooooo many times at work it's not even funny anymore BUT I still LOVE the book so I say I'm pretty much winning! I've found this book to appeal to the younger set of children quite well...Aliens and humans..What's not to love even at an early age? The illustrations are awesome, lots of darkness because they're stuck on a moon but then the splash of colour also works very well and brightens up each page.

So, this story is about a little boy with a wicked sense of imagination...He goes into his cupboard one day and out comes a cardboard air plane which takes him on a wild adventure to the MOON! He stops on the moon because his little red air plane runs out of petrol and unknown to him a little green alien is also having a few problems of his own on that VERY moon.

The boy and the alien become quick friends because they have something in common as both of their flying contraptions are having issues. Something mechanical has gone screwy in the Alien's aircraft and like stated before the little boy's air plane has run out of fuel. They keep talking to each other wondering how they can fix each others problems. What solution do they come up with is something you'll need to find out yourself by reading the book.

However, I will say at the very end of the book there is something that made me feel a little sad..It was the illustration.
Profile Image for nananatte.
413 reviews131 followers
December 30, 2021
เด็กชายขับเครื่องบินสูงขึ้นๆๆ ไปจนถึงดวงจันทร์ แต่น้ำมันเจ้ากรรมเกิดหมดขึ้นมา เขาก็เลยติกแหง็กอยู่บนนั้น
ขณะเดียวกั� มนุษย์ดาวอังคา� ออกเดินทางสำรวจจักรวาล ทุกอย่างเรียบร้อยดี เว้นตรงที�...จู่ๆ ยานก็เสี� ยานเลยปักเข้ากับพื้นดวงจันทร�

ทั้งเด็กชายและมนุษย์ดาวอังคาร ต่างคนก็ต่างใช้ชีวิตท่ามกลางความมื� ต้องคอยหลบหลีกสัตว์ประหลาด
จนวันหนึ่งก็ได้พบว่า... "อ้าว เราไม่ได้เจอปัญหาอยู่คนเดียว บนนี้ก็มีคนอื่นที่มีปัญหาแบบเดียวกั�!"

เมื่อเด็กชายและมนุษย์ดาวอังคารเจอกั� ก็แลกเปลี่ยนข้อมูล พูดคุย และหาทางการแก้ไขสถานการณ์ดังกล่า�
ทั้งคู่ไึϹข้อสรุปใȨี่สุ�
๶ึϹกชาย๶ริ่มทำตามแผนทัȨ�
เขารวบรวมอุปกรณ์ที่มี แล้วกระโดดร่มชูชีพลงสู่มหาสมุทรของโล� เขาว่ายน้ำจนถึงบ้าน

แต่เพราะว่ายน้ำนานไปหน่อ� กลับถึงบ้านก็เลยเหนื่อย
ก็เลยนั่งพักดูซีรีส� นา�... นานจนเหมือนจะลืมอะไรไปสักอย่าง

...เวลาผ่านไ� หลังดูซีรีส์จบไปหลายเรื่อ�

"อ๊�!"

ในที่สุด๶ขาก็Ȩกออก
เด็กชายรีบรวบรวมอุปกรณ์ซ่อมเครื่องยนต์บรรจุใส่กระเป๋� แล้วออกเดินทาง
เขาไปยืนใต้ดวงจันทร� ส่งเสียงตะโกนเรียกมนุษย์ดาวอังคารอยู่นาน

"ฮัลโหล�"

ในที่สุด ก็มีเชือกเส้นหนึ่งหย่อนลงม�

เด็กชายปีนๆ� ขึ้นไปจนถึงดวงจันทร์ เขาลงมือซ่อมยานของมนุษย์ดาวอังคารและเติมน้ำมันให้เครื่องบินของตนเอง
ในที่สุด พวกเขาทั้งคู่ก็เดินทางกลับบ้านได้อย่างปลอดภั� :-)


Oliver Jeffers ไม่เคยทำให้ผิดหวัง
เรื่องราวซน� น่ารักของเด็กชายและมนุษย์ดาวอังคาร
ส่งเสริมมิตรภา� ความคิดสร้างสรรค� การแก้ปัญห� และการลงมือท�
เล่มนี้ให้คะแนน++ เพราะส่งเสริมวิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยีได้โดยไม่ต้องบรรยายอะไรยาก� เลยสักค�

อ่านแต่ละหȨาใȨล่มนี้ได้แต่อ้�-ปา�-ค้าง
คิดมาได้ยังไ� จินตนาการไกลสุดกู่มา� น่ารักแบบกวน� ดีค่� :-)
Profile Image for Hamed Manoochehri.
252 reviews20 followers
October 16, 2024
این چیز دندون گیری نداشت. عکس روی دیوار و اشاره به شاتل داستان قبلی که اونم بنزین تموم کرده بود بامزه بود.
Profile Image for Abigail.
7,646 reviews243 followers
November 5, 2019
When a young boy finds an airplane in his closet, he immediately sets out on an aerial adventure, getting as far as the moon before his plane runs out of fuel. Stuck on this celestial body, the boy encounters an alien who has also crash landed, and together the two lost spacefarers work out a way to get home...

Following upon and , which set out the first two adventures of this young boy-protagonist, The Way Back Home follows him as he heads to outer space, carried there by an airplane, and author/artist Oliver Jeffers' seemingly boundless imagination. Although not my favorite, of Jeffers' creations - I prefer some of his later titles, like , or the most recent, - I do like these sweet, simple stories about a young boy and the connections he makes with the world (and the cosmos) around him. The artwork is appealing, in that trademark Jeffers way, and the ending heartwarming. Recommended to fellow Jeffers fans, and to anyone looking for entertaining adventure stories for the picture-book set.
Profile Image for Rosie.
247 reviews3 followers
November 26, 2018
The story explores the ideas of acceptance and diversity. The two characters are totally different from one another, but they become friends and help each other. Being helpful is consequently another theme within the book as they help each other so that they can go home. The book also demonstrates friendship, as even though the two characters are stranded, they make friends and work towards a common goal. Even after they have returned to their homes, they remain friends and still contact one another. The illustrations in the book are wonderful; they are gentle and soft which supports the themes of friendship, acceptance and being helpful. The story explores important messages using a topic which is of interest to many children � space. It is a simple book which is easily read and followed.
It is cross curricular- it can be used in English, history, topic, art and PSHE.
Profile Image for Tayebe Ej.
192 reviews38 followers
October 10, 2022
از مجموعه ی چهارجلدی "پسر" (ترجمه شده به "دنیای شیرین پسرک"). برخلاف جلد "کسی پنگوئن گم نکرده" که خیلی دوستش داشتم، این جلد حال بلاتکلیفی داشت، نگرفتم چی میخواست بگه و روند داستان هم کند و یکنواخت بود
Profile Image for Kokelector.
1,024 reviews97 followers
July 9, 2022
¿Qué harías si te encuentras un avión en la limpieza de tu armario? Eso le sucede a nuestro protagonista y realiza un increíble viaje que lo dejará en la luna sin combustible. Pero conocerá a un entrañable marciano que tiene la misma dificultad, no puede seguir con su nave. Al llegar de noche no se verán y temerán lo peor, pero con acostumbrarse a la oscuridad entenderán que son dos posible amigos que se pueden ayudar.
Una historia en torno hacer amistades en los momentos de dificultad y cómo hacemos crecer nuestras posibilidades ante la vida.
¡Dz!
Profile Image for Sandy.
2,716 reviews71 followers
April 15, 2022
There once was a boy who had a big heart. The boy discovers an airplane in his closet so he decides to take it out for a spin. In a hurry, the boy forgot to check how much fuel the airplane has. Good thing that the moon is there, as he makes an emergency landing on it. Tonight though, he’s not the only one who needs the moon’s assistance. There’s a spaceship with a Martian onboard flying in space which begins to have engine problems and heads to the moon. He lands hard on the moon and soon, the two moon occupants hear each other. Tension is felt at what the noise is but the two are eventually glad to meet, they’re no longer alone on the moon. How were they both going to get home and off the moon? Good question and something the two of them have to figure out, together.

I felt something missing in this book. I think it felt more like- they meet, they help each other out and then, life goes on. I wanted more of a connection with the Martian and the boy. I wanted them to say something, to show more of themselves to each other, or give each other something so they could always remember their unique friendship. Can they exchange addresses at the end? Can they give each other something out of their pocket or ship? Anything…�. The book had that “matter of fact� feeling and I just wasn’t feeling those warm, “wow� feelings that I get with Jeffers other books. 3.5 stars
Profile Image for Hugh Stuart.
12 reviews3 followers
October 10, 2011
I discovered this one last week in an RE seminar and instantly loved it. The art is sumptuous and quirky and its a really nice story about friendship and helping each other out. A small boy finds an aeroplane in his cupboard, goes for a wee flight and crashes on the moon. During the night a tiny martian has a similar accident and loses control of his spaceship also ending up on the same rocky satellite. The two are initially fearful of one another but become friends when they realise they have the same plight. The boy is lowered to earth to obtain supplies to repair their damaged vehicles (being distracted by TV and biscuits long the way) and soon they can both return home safely. The story ends with the possibility that their friendship may be able to continue across space.

It reminded me of the Calvin and Hobbes cartoon strips which I enjoyed in my adolescence as they also fizzed with imagination and were lushly illustrated. This would be a good story for a year 3 or 4 circle time.
Profile Image for Elaine Mullane || Elaine and the Books.
956 reviews339 followers
April 5, 2018
Another favourite contender in our bedtime reads! My son is currently obsessed with this because it features a plane, the moon and an alien.

An imaginative little story about a little boy who takes his airplane out and gets lost, and then finds solace in the company of someone else who has also been displaced. In an attempt to get home, these unlikely friends go to great lengths help each other out. A sweet little tale from one of our favourite writers and illustrators.
Profile Image for midnightfaerie.
2,201 reviews126 followers
October 9, 2013
A book my 5 yr old as well as my twin 3 yr olds loved. A solid reading level 1 book, this cute story keeps all ages engaged with the bright colorful pictures and cute story. A fun space theme with a little twist at the end. My 5 yr old was tickled pink when he guessed the ending. A great addition to any children's library.
Profile Image for J. Boo.
756 reviews26 followers
November 30, 2018
Boy finds a plane in his closet, flies to the moon, runs out of fuel, meets alien with flying saucer problems who crash lands, parachutes back home to get tools, climbs up rope back to moon...

I didn't find it interesting, nor was I fond of the illustrations, but DS#2 (age 3) seemed to pay attention.
171 reviews49 followers
September 1, 2019
It is always important to carry a torch, but not so good when it stops working, neither is it very helpful when your engine breaks down. Luckily the boy and a friendly Martian both suffer engine trouble and met each other on the moon. They find a way of fixing each other's engines and after saying 'goodbye', go their separate ways back home. Will they ever find a way of keeping in touch?
Profile Image for Rebecca Morris.
45 reviews3 followers
October 14, 2019
I really enjoyed reading this book. This book follows a young boy who gets stuck on the moon as his plane ran out of petrol and becomes lonely as he is all alone. However, another boy emergency landed on the moon as his engine has broken down. The boys together think of a plan to get them both home again. This book highlights the importance of teamwork and friendship as the two boys become friends whilst creating a plan and as a team, they fix each other's plane and spaceship in order to get back home again.
The illustrations in this book are brilliant and they make you feel as if you are part of the story. This book really illustrates how amazing a child's imagination can be and if given the freedom, how wild it can run.
Profile Image for Cecily.
55 reviews2 followers
May 6, 2019
I love how the boy goes on grand adventures. I love how nothing is really impossible for him as long as he can think it up. The boy goes to the moon and discovers an alien whose ship broke down on the moon. The boy's ship ran out of gas, so obviously he floats back down to earth to collect items to help them both out. The alien lower a rope from the moon when the boy has the items they both need. I love the last page and how he has a package with a walkie talkie from the alien. It's so cute. Again, I love the watercolor illustrations.
Profile Image for Katie Mote.
111 reviews1 follower
October 15, 2019
This is a lovely book about a little boy who ends up on the moon and discovers a martian who is also stuck on the moon and how they work together to fix their space ships so that they can go back home. The illustrations are simple but effective in working alongside the text. I loved the theme of friendship throughout, how they welcomed each other into their lives to help and look after each other. This would be a lovely book to read with children
Profile Image for Ѳé.
822 reviews10 followers
November 11, 2021
2.5/5 This tale of an adventurous boy who meets and befriends a Martian is sure to appeal to children aged 4-8 particularly if they are already fans of Oliver Jeffers illustrative style. I found it lacked the depth of many of his other picturebooks but I suppose they can't all tug on the heart strings!
Profile Image for Nick Swarbrick.
325 reviews35 followers
December 8, 2021
A charming but slightly disturbing addition to Jeffers� “Boy� series: quirky intertextuality, lovely illustrations (very good use of dark tones for a night sky) but the boy is curiously disconnected from the alien on the moon� So there is lots to talk about, lots - even on the last page - to make you stop and think. What is friendship really? How do chance encounters change you? At odds with Kitamura’s UFO Diary or even Litchfield’s Lights on Cotton Rock, this is a great Jeffers story, but ambiguous.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 417 reviews

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