Alien Bracelet, written by Laurel Lorenzini and illustrated by Gabriel San Martin, is a children's picture book that revolves around a school-aged boy who has a unique accessory piece. Narrated from the first-person point of view of the student, the boy tells readers how he was coerced into taking five aliens, each a different color, to his school on an unnamed and unexplained secret mission. The aliens are on a tiny bracelet but emerge indiscreetly only to make a huge mess of the whole day. The boy is humiliated when his classmates see their games get interrupted, lunches are stolen, and there is a detonation mid-science class. Each scene is illustrated in a full-page spread and in full color, breathing life into the story and showcasing the trouble the aliens create.

Laurel Lorenzini writes Alien Bracelet in simple and straightforward prose so the book is not hard for avid little readers to follow along with. The aliens do not have any names except for whatever their color is so they are not hard to tell apart and younger readers are unlikely to be confused. The vibrant colors that illustrator Gabriel San Martin integrates into the more muted pastels and soft cream tones balance out the full-spread art. The story is plotless but San Martin makes the faces of the children and aliens expressive and the emotions are perceptible and palpable, and the star of this children's picture book are the pictures. Overall, Alien Bracelet is a fun read that is sure to elicit a few naughty giggles and lighten the mood before tucking the littles into bed.

We’ve seen movies and read stories about an alien making friends with a human kid. Alien Bracelet by Laurel Lorenzini takes a chunk of this premise and turns it into a situational tale filled with school mayhem. An unnamed young boy narrates how five alien friends ruined his life as they give him the task of showing them around his school for one day - a secret mission to learn about human ways. They have the technology to make themselves small and hide on the boy’s bracelet. These five aliens simply go by names according to their color. At school, each of these aliens gets the young boy into trouble as each of them displays overwhelming curiosity about specific activities in school. Will the other kids at school panic knowing that one of them is hiding mischievous aliens, or will they think he is cool?

Is there a lesson that kids can learn from Alien Bracelet? Storybooks don’t necessarily need to impart values or life lessons to be interesting. If readers are entertained and their eyes are glued to its arresting artwork, this story succeeds in doing its job. Laurel Lorenzini tells an extraordinary slice-of-life tale by throwing aliens into the mix. Gabriel San Martin’s illustrations give a fantastic view of the unfolding events by providing details in colors and images that occupy whole pages. The story also encourages readers to engage in answering open-ended what-if questions for discussion. What if aliens do ask you to show them around your school? Would you? It’s a funny tale - one that is a must-read for entertainment and potential discussion.

Alien Bracelet by Laurel Lorenzini is a science fiction children’s picture book illustrated by Gabriel San Martin. It’s the story of a schoolboy whose life was almost ruined by five aliens, named Blue, Green, Yellow, Red, and Orange. Hidden in a colorful bracelet, the aliens are on a mission and persuade the boy to show them around at school without revealing their identities. On the school bus, much to the boy’s surprise, Blue goes bananas and jumps at his seatmate, causing a ruckus. The secret mission is not that secret after all with each of the aliens disrupting school activities. The boy is relieved when class is over but is worried that everyone now thinks he’s weird. But on the way home, something happens that makes everyone thinks he is amazing.

Laurel Lorenzini’s Alien Bracelet is a creatively stimulating children’s picture book. Colorfully illustrated, the characters come alive as you flip the pages. Schoolchildren can relate to the little boy and the uncomfortable situation he finds himself in. His concern about how the other schoolchildren think of him is understandable. The story is written in a warm and upbeat manner. Despite their naughty pranks, the alien characters in this story are lovable. The ending of this imaginative tale should encourage children to believe in themselves and their abilities to face difficult situations, like bringing five aliens on a secret mission to school. This is a heartwarming story that children will love!