When Zot the alien, living on a drab, gray world, spies a vibrantly colorful planet in the distant skies, he jumps in his spaceship and pays his stellar neighbors a visit. Enchanted with the beautiful hues around him, he begins collecting them, only to discover, as he is leaving, that he has robbed this alien world of all of its beauty. When he gives the purloined colors back, he is given a lovely orange balloon in return, and is made happier than he was, even by the vast array of shades he stole. After all, a little color goes a long way...

Published in London by Bloomsbury Children's Books, author/artist Gabriel Alborozo's The Colour Thief is a sweet little morality tale, dressed up as picture-book science fiction. Not only does Zot discover that a little can go a long way, he also learns that a gift given freely produces far more happiness in the recipient, than a wealth of stolen goods. The artwork here is quite appealing, and Alborozo ably contrasts Zot's colorless world with the gorgeous shades of our own. Recommended to anyone looking for children's stories about aliens, colors, honesty and/or friendship. ( )