Avyan Blasts Off

**Page 1**

I am Avyan. I am three years old. That is almost four.

My room is small but my spaceship is big. It is made of cardboard boxes and silver tape and one red button that used to be on an old toy.

The button is the most important part.

I press it.

Nothing happens.

I press it again.

"Blast off," I whisper.

Nothing.

**Page 2**

My mom says I have to clean my room before I can go to space.

"But space is calling me," I say.

She laughs. She has a laugh like bubbles. "Space can wait five minutes."

I do not think space can wait. Space is very big and very old. It has been waiting a long time.

I pick up one sock. Then another sock. Then a block.

This is taking forever.

**Page 3**

I finish cleaning. It took four hundred years. Maybe five hundred.

I run back to my spaceship. I put on my helmet. It is a colander. My mom says it keeps the space thoughts in.

I press the red button.

"Blast off!"

The ship shakes. The room spins. Stars appear outside my window. Real stars. Not the sticker kind.

I am flying.

**Page 4**

Space is dark and sparkly. Like my auntie's nail polish but bigger.

I float past a moon that looks like a potato. A very round potato. A potato moon.

"Hello, potato moon," I say.

The potato moon does not answer. Moons are shy.

I keep flying.

**Page 5**

A planet comes into view. It is purple with green stripes. It looks like a grape that got in trouble.

I land my ship. The ground is soft like jelly.

I step out.

The air smells like birthday cake.

I take a bite of the air. It tastes like birthday cake too.

This is the best planet.

**Page 6**

Something moves behind a rock.

It is small. It is fuzzy. It has three eyes and six legs and antennae that wiggle.

It is a space creature.

"Hello," I say.

The space creature makes a sound like a tiny trumpet.

"Bloop."

I do not know what "bloop" means. But I think it means hello.

"Bloop," I say back.

The space creature does a happy dance. Its six legs go every which way.

**Page 7**

The space creature leads me to its house. The house is made of candy.

Not pretend candy. Real candy. The walls are licorice. The roof is a giant cookie.

"I like your house," I say.

"Bloop bloop," says the space creature.

I think that means thank you.

The space creature offers me a piece of the wall. It is green licorice. I take a bite.

It tastes like space.

**Page 8**

"Where are your people?" I ask.

The space creature stops dancing. Its antennae droop.

"Bloop," it says quietly.

I think it means it is alone.

"That is sad," I say.

The space creature nods. Its three eyes get watery.

I pat its head. It is fuzzy like my stuffed bear.

"You can come with me," I say. "I have room in my spaceship. There is a seat for small creatures."

**Page 9**

The space creature's eyes get big. It does a spin. It makes happy trumpet sounds.

"Bloop bloop bloop bloop!"

I think that means yes.

We go back to my ship. The space creature brings one piece of candy wall. For the road.

I press the red button.

"Blast off!"

**Page 10**

We fly past the potato moon again. It is still shy.

We fly past a ring planet. The rings look like a hula hoop.

"Bloop," says the space creature, pointing.

"That is Saturn," I say. "I learned about it from my book."

The space creature looks impressed. I feel very smart.

**Page 11**

Something big blocks our way.

It is a spaceship. A real one. Not cardboard. It is silver and shiny and has a thousand windows.

A voice comes out of nowhere.

"State your name and purpose."

The voice is loud. It hurts my ears a little.

"I am Avyan," I say. "I am three and a half. Almost four."

Silence.

"State your purpose," says the voice again.

**Page 12**

"I am exploring," I say. "I found a friend. We are going home for snacks."

The big spaceship opens a door. A ramp comes down.

A figure walks out.

It is tall. It is silver. It has one big eye in the middle of its face.

A space robot.

The space robot looks at me. Looks at my ship. Looks at my colander helmet.

"You are small," says the space robot.

"Yes," I say. "I am growing."

**Page 13**

The space robot tilts its head.

"Where are your parents?"

"At home," I say. "Mom is making dinner. Dad will be home soon."

The space robot looks confused. Its one eye blinks.

"You are alone in space?"

"No," I say. "I have my friend." I point at the space creature. "And I have my ship. And I have my red button."

The space robot looks at the red button.

"That button does nothing," it says.

**Page 14**

I press the button.

The ship shakes.

The space robot takes a step back.

"See?" I say. "It does everything."

The space robot's eye narrows.

"You are a strange small creature," it says.

"Thank you," I say.

The space robot does not know what to do with me. I can tell. I am very good at telling things.

**Page 15**

"Where did you get that button?" asks the space robot.

"From my toy," I say. "It broke. I saved the button."

The space robot's eye gets very wide.

"That button," it says slowly, "looks like the Power Core of the Ancient Star Builders."

I do not know what that means.

"Okay," I say.

The space robot steps closer.

"May I see it?"

I shake my head.

"No," I say. "It is mine. I found it first."

**Page 16**

The space robot makes a sound. It sounds like a sigh but made of metal.

"You do not understand what you have," it says.

"Maybe," I say. "But I know what I have. I have a button that makes my ship go. I have a new friend. I have a colander on my head."

The space robot is quiet for a long time.

Then it laughs. It sounds like a washing machine.

"You are right," it says. "Go home, small one. Eat your dinner. Grow a little more."

**Page 17**

"Okay," I say.

I press the red button.

"Blast off!"

The space creature waves its six legs. The space robot waves one silver hand.

We fly home.

The potato moon waves goodbye. I wave back. Moons are not that shy after all.

**Page 18**

I land in my room.

The stars disappear. The walls come back. My toys are on the floor again.

The space creature is sitting in my bed.

"Bloop," it says.

"Shh," I say. "Mom is coming."

My mom opens the door.

"Dinner time, Avyan."

She looks at my bed. She sees nothing.

I look at my bed. The space creature is gone.

But there is a piece of green licorice on my pillow.

**Page 19**

I eat dinner. Macaroni and cheese. The space kind.

"Did you have a good adventure?" my mom asks.

"The best," I say.

She kisses my head.

"Good," she says. "Tomorrow you can have another one."

I think about the space robot. I think about the potato moon. I think about my button.

I think about the space creature.

I hope it comes back.

**Page 20**

I brush my teeth. I put on my pajamas. I get in bed.

I hold my red button tight.

"Goodnight, space," I whisper.

A tiny trumpet sound comes from under my bed.

"Bloop."

I smile.

I am not alone.