Kids into books: Stella Steller in Horace Snatchfat & The Aliens

Author: Simon Grant

Age: 6-9 years

Illustrator: Kate Wells

Publisher: Breaksea Productions, $14.95


Stella had become such an expert at working out strange messages that she knew straight away what it meant. "Things are turning bad," the sea was saying, "the air is sour with the smell of aliens. Act now, Stella Steller, or prepare to die a horrible death."

This was an alarming message, even for the sea which was prone to being gloomy and depressed, especially in the winter time.

But Stella knew that panicking in a crisis was not usually the best thing to do. Instead she snuggled deep into her bed, closed her eyes tight, and tried thinking about all the things that aliens probably wouldn't like, such as Christmas, bedtime stories and family hugs. And before too long, her plan had worked and she was sound asleep.