Astro

Synopsis

When Astro arrives on a faraway planet, everyone wants to meet him. Who’s this strange person, and why is he here? But one kind creature in particular is especially drawn to him. Together, they form an unlikely bond and navigate the world’s curious terrains—mountains, caves, and oceans.

When the creature is taken from him, Astro must confront the difficult questions that underlie our existence: Why are we here? What is our life for? Using collage, pencil and ink, and thickly layered acrylic, Manuel Marsol creates a world filled with vastness and wonder in this poignant tale of friendship, loss, and acceptance.

About the Author

Manuel Marsol (Madrid, 1984) is an award-winning Spanish illustrator and children's book author. In 2017, he received the International Illustration Prize at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. His work combines drawing, painting, collage, and a distinctive surreal visual language.

Lizzie Davis is a translator of contemporary literature from Spanish and French into English. She translated Astro from the original Spanish.

Publisher

Transit Children's Editions

Publication Date

April 8, 2025

Format

Hardcover

Pages

64

Subjects

Children's Fiction · Picture Books · Friendship · Loss & Grief · Space · Translated Fiction

ISBN

9798893389043

Together, they form an unlikely bond and navigate the world’s curious terrains—mountains, caves, oceans. When the creature is taken from him, Astro must confront the difficult questions that underlie our existence: Why are we here? What is our life for? 

Using a mix of collage, pencil and ink, and thickly layered acrylic, award-winning Manuel Marsol’s illustrations teem with the vastness and wonder of life near and far.

"I guarantee that nothing else for sale in America right now quite looks or feels like this book."—Betsy Bird, School Library Journal