Common Sense Media Review
By Darienne Stewart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Quirky tale-within-a-tale overflows with fun details.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 5+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Forgotten by their young owner, seven toys spend their first night outside. The starry sky is a revelation that leaves them speechless ... but then the fretting and fussing begins. The WonderDoll spins a story to pass the time: In her tale, the seven toys are abducted by an alien searching for his own lost toy. The toys persuade the alien to return all the toys he's collected in his search, then throw a party to cheer up the sad creature. Then the toys return to Earth themselves, leaving the alien to finally find his beloved Cuddles, in the last place he looked. By the time her story is finished, dawn has brought the promise that the toys will soon be found by their owner.
Is It Any Good?
TOYS IN SPACE frames a story within another story, and blurs the lines just enough to make you wonder what really happened. The WonderDoll's story zigs and zags, changing course with each interruption from her eager friends. This will feel oh so familiar to anyone who's made up stories on the fly for energetic listeners! It makes some convenient leaps: It doesn't explain how the toys persudae the alien to return the Lost Toys, and the group of friends doesn't consider helping him find his toy.
Author/illustrator Mini Grey's comic-style panels and varying typeface treatments make for an energetic presentation. From some kids -- especially beginning readers -- the cluttered pages might be too busy. But for others, the engaging sketches offer fun details, like the address labels secured to the Lost Toys and the clues to where Cuddles will be found.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about improvising stories. Look for the clues in the pictures that help fuel the WonderDoll's tale.
Encourage your kid to make up a story to share. Take turns making up stories for each other using your surroundings -- and each other -- for inspiration.
Talk about what you'd do if you found a lost toy.
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Mini Grey
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Adventures , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Random House Children's Books
- Publication date : May 14, 2013
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 5 - 8
- Number of pages : 32
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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