Youth Outreach Coordinator Su Ikin takes a cosmic trip with the latest Oliver Jeffers picture book.

Meanwhile Back on Earth is a story about the universe, time and ongoing conflict over land and beliefs on earth that have taken place since the beginning of human existence.

Author and illustrator Oliver Jeffers stated, ‘With this book I have tried to use a comparative scale that will make sense to anyone – normal driving speed in a family car’.

It begins with an ordinary family car trip with Dad in the front dealing with two children in the back seat – squabbling over who ‘owns’ what space. Taking a detour, this everyday trip turns into one of exploration, taking us all on a journey through time and space. First stop: the Moon. Travelling at the average speed a motorist drives at, 37 mph, it takes the family almost a year to get there. Now, the author has us look back in the rear vision mirror to earth one year ago. Not much has changed. Taking a left turn, heading towards the sun, next stop Venus – our closest planet. A seventy-eight-year trip. Looking back in the mirror, we see earth in the middle of the twentieth century and the whole world is fighting – hopefully for the last time. Continuing towards the sun, it will take 150 years for the family to reach Mercury. Once again checking in our mirror we see earth 150 years ago and how a handful of countries are racing to divide up valuable land around the globe. And so the story continues.

Speaking about Meanwhile Back on Earth, Oliver said, ‘Anyone who has undertaken a long road trip with small children in the back seat (who don't necessarily agree with each other), shouldn’t have difficulty making the leap to seeing how these small interactions about space and identity can easily play the analogy for how our larger society seems to have (dis)functioned for a very long time. They also, I hope, will remember that despite whatever tempers were flared, there’s nothing quite like returning to the safety of home, and how that small act in itself provides perspective.’

Usually, we see picture books as falling into the domain of children. In this case, I can see that children eight years and up will enjoy this book and ‘get’ the comparison between time and space. But really, I think the message portrayed both simply and cleverly in language and through illustration, is intended for a much wider audience than children alone.

With thanks to Harper Collins New Zealand for providing an advance review copy of the book.