Faraway Friends

This is the story of the adventure of a little boy named Sheldon and his dog, Jet. When Sheldon’s best friend moves away, Sheldon spies the word “Jupiter” painted on the side of the moving truck. Sheldon feels sad at first, but realizes that this is a sign—what he needs is a rocket ship! So Sheldon and Jet do some sketching and some scrounging, and, with a wagon full of equipment and supplies, the two future astronauts head to the backyard. With a glop and a wham, piece by piece the ship begins to take form, and soon it’s Commander Sheldon A. Flyer and Space Cadet Jet ready for takeoff! The duo jets around satellites, zooms by planets, speeds through space storms, and zips past other flying saucers . . . until plop, they’ve arrived, somewhere with a green, alien life-form and a furry black blob.

This book encourages children to channel loneliness and boredom with creativity and imagination, and ultimately it is a story of new friendship. Featuring vibrant illustrations by debut author and illustrator Russ Cox, this action-packed story is sure to appeal to young readers in search of something that is out of this world!

Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readers—picture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Russ Cox was raised in the backwoods of Tennessee, where he spent his time drawing, whittling, and throwing dirt clods at his cousins. He runs his own studio, Smiling Otis Studio, where he specializes in illustration for the children’s market and children’s books. He has taught classes at Pennsylvania College of Art and Design and currently resides with his wife and four cats in Pittsfield, Maine.

"Cox's combination of full spreads and panels gives him enough room to provide specifics about the ship's construction, this pair's adventure, and their introduction to the new neighbor. Fun illustrations quickly turn the downbeat opener into a full-blown, colorful adventure, with sound effects. For children, anyone not 'here' might as well be on another planet; the moving trucks are a visual manifestation of this fear. Instead of optimistically proclaiming 'of course you'll remain in touch,' Cox delivers a more honest answer; you may not. Verdict: This engaging picture book explains that sometimes friends leave, but there is always a new one around the corner."—School Library Journal