The illustrations in this book are simply beautiful. They’re soft and unique and very eye-catching. However, the story, while nice and interesting, is too long. This reads like somebody telling a spoken word story rather than reading a picture book. And while the story is lovely , it feels like a long odorous journey to get from beginning to end.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved the illustrations in this book but I didn't love the story that much. It wasn't really a unique idea, The illustrations alone saved this for me.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. Mara wants to be an astronaut and she arrives on a planet that only she can help. This is a beautiful oversize book that kids will enjoy the pictures and the story.

This book had lovely illustrations, and I was very excited that there was a story that had a protagonist with my name, though I didn't find the story as engaging as I had hoped.

Gorgeous illustrations, we spent a lot of time looking through each scene. The story was less captivating for my young readers.

Oh my freaking reading life!
This blew my mind away!
Who would have thought this is a children's storybook picture book whatever!? This seems so real and it is almost like a graphic novel. Whao-ow.

And the level of imagination this short story weaved is just as alien as the 'aliens' in the story. I loved all the characters! Emotions, wilderness, depiction of the dying earth, the light of hope towards the end... And yes, the art! Who is this artist?! You are freaking awesome!!!! Show this particular book to those who mock artists. I mean... Wow. I am so impressed with everything about this book!

Thank you NetGalley for this copy!

The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous in this book, but the story is flat and simplistic. The resolution to the conflict doesn't have an oomph factor. I did like Mara and the setting, though. I read this via NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher.

Beautiful drawings and paintings, but the story was not compelling. Mara travels through space to save a planet. Format problems on the Kindle made this story hard to read and follow, it seemed like it started in the middle and the came back to the front, showing the cover and back.
#MaratheSpaceTraveler #NetGalley #ARC

Gorgeous Illustrations but Tiny Font

This book has gorgeous, colorful illustrations, some of which border on true art, like the dark blue page of the underwater scene. I thought that the story itself was a little choppy, without good transitions between the different parts. First, I wondered how she got to a spaceship from her rooftop! The plot is simple and has a good message about helping others and protecting the environment. But the book certainly had a big issue—or, should I say, a small one. The font for most of the book is teeny tiny. I don't think this works for either new readers or grandparents who might want to read this book to a child. The font size does vary in some different parts of the book, but the base font is very small.

'Mara the Space Traveler' with story and art by An Leysen is a picture book about a young girl who becomes an astronaut.

Mara wants to fly in to space, so that's what she does. She finds an odd planet and makes new friends. Her friends are having a conflict with the sun because the sun is too close to the planet. Mara has a conversation with the sun, but will it save the planet?

An Leysen has a very distinct art style that I like, and that's why I am drawn to her books. In this one, Mara is a strong, brave person who takes a stand. The book ends with pages of Mara's notes from her journal about building a space ship and the creatures she meets.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Clavis Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

Thank you Clavis Publishing and Netgalley for access to this arc.

The beautiful cover illustration is what got my attention and made me look into this book. The illustrations throughout the story are fabulous and its main strength. I also liked the changing font, though this might be difficult for younger children to read. The actual story line was rather simplistic with strong hints of white savior complex. The message itself - to take care of your environment - gets lost in having someone else do the heavy lifting for you.. Plus Mara just ends up yelling at the sun being and fixing things on one planet instead of voyaging to many different planets. In the end, it was a let down. Lovely artwork but the story itself is weak.

This is an absolutely beautiful book. The art is gorgeous and the message is great! I loved the message about taking care of the environment. I can't wait to buy this one for everyone!

I requested and received an e-ARC from An Leysen and Clavis Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really liked this book. Mara dreams of being an astronaut and when she wishes on a star her dreams come true. The planet, creatures, and story were all very creative. This would be a great book to add to the bedtime story collection as it could encourage some amazing dreams.

I love illustrations and I enjoy children’s books a lot. So when I saw this book with the beautiful cover, of course I was enchanted. Mara the Space Traveler is about a little girl with a rich imagination and dreams of being an astronaut.

The drawings were stunning and beautiful. I lingered on each page, enjoying the illustrations which were very vivid and colorful and would easily grab the attention of any child.

However, though the plot-line was simple, it was not as interesting as I expected it to be. The plot did not have as much excitement and impact as a story for children should have.

I read the story to a couple of children to gauge their reaction and their views. The children loved the drawings but the story bored them. In their opinion, the story was not as detailed as they wanted and had a plot holes, which annoyed them. They also found the segue from one scene to another confusing, the change in events too vague.

I gave this book 3 stars mostly for the illustrations which were exceptional. With a better, more detailed plot-line this book would have been perfect.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Really liked the art in this book! The digital copy I got was complete but hard to read because it was sideway lol but still great book! and love mara's hair!

Mara wants to be a space traveler. She travels in her spaceship to an alien planet and meets the aliens there, saves them from the Sun King and hopes to have more adventures as such. The illustrations are beautiful. The font is small which makes it a little hard to read.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.

I always love this author books.
This is a really short story with beautiful and colorful illustrations
The bad thing about it is the tittle giving confusion: she is called "Space Traveler" but she only travels to one world so I hope she has more adventures.

Mara the Space Traveler is a delightful, little picture book with beautiful pictures!

Mara wants to be an astronaut and explore space, so she makes a great wish that sends her into her imagination. She goes on a magical adventure with mystical locations and creatures. It's all about imagination! The little creature she finds it the cutest alien I've seen in a long time (as adorable as Gizmo in his cute state).

There is a lack of message in this one, other than imagination. I thought there might be some cool educational spin to it, but there isn't. It's merely a fun, adventurous read with pretty pictures!

The illustrations are gorgeous! They are soft, look like water colour and make the story feel alive. I'm really impressed by the pictures alone!

Three out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Clavis Publishing for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Clavis Publishing for the digital review copy.

Mara wants to be a space traveler and explore the universe. When she can’t sleep, she looks up at the sky and imagines her adventures. Tonight she travels to a planet once green with cute, little alien creatures who need her help. The Sun King, they tell her, loved their garden so much he got too close, and now their garden grows smaller as the desert grows larger. They need Mara to convince him to look the other way. She braves the desert and tells the Sun King to stop. Then she explores the water and plays with the alien creatures who live in the ocean. When she returns to shore, she finds the Sun King has retreated to a safer distance and the garden is growing again. Hooray! Mara is their hero.

I really enjoyed this weird, little book. I say weird, but I mean it in a good way. It’s quirky with elements of science fiction and adventure. The art is beautiful and the creatures imaginative. There’s even a cool illustration of Mara’s explorer diary at the end. It’s the perfect read for your own little explorers and could spark imaginative space adventures, discussions about the universe, and even open a discussion about what kinds of alien creatures your kids might meet if they got to travel through space. What kind of world would they find? I personally would love to read some more of Mara’s adventures and hope this develops into a series.

It’s out in just under a month, so keep an eye out for this one on June 16. Pick it up from your local bookstore, or as libraries reopen, request a copy through your library.

An imaginative picture book about Mara who wants to be a space explorer dreams of what she might find. I read this to my nephew and the pictures scared him too much. I don’t think he’ll be alone in this. I understand the intention but the book itself is a bit too old for the target audience,