Sputnik's Guide to Life on Earth cover art

Sputnik's Guide to Life on Earth

From the UK Children's Laureate 2024–2026

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Sputnik's Guide to Life on Earth

By: Frank Cottrell-Boyce
Narrated by: Peter Capaldi
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About this listen

Shortlisted for the 2017 Carnegie Medal, Sputnik's Guide to Life on Earth by the award-winning UK Children's Laureate 2024–2026 Frank Cottrell-Boyce is an funny out-of-this-world adventure. Perfect for children aged 8+.

'Full of heart and emotion that might just bring a tear to your eye' - Tom Fletcher, author of The Creakers

Can a dog from outer space save the world?

When Prez meets Sputnik – a small, loud alien – he's shocked to hear that the world is about to be destroyed. Unless Prez can show Sputnik ten things worth seeing or doing on Earth . . .

But Prez's list of amazing things is not quite the same as Sputnik's – will it be enough to save the planet?

'A wonderful and exciting story about friendship and appreciating what you have' - Independent

©2017 Frank Cottrell-Boyce (P)2017 Macmillan Digital Audio Action & Adventure Animals Animals & Nature Fiction Growing Up Growing Up & Facts of Life Humorous Fiction Literature & Fiction Science Fiction & Fantasy Comedy Adoption Science Fiction

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Critic reviews

Comedy gold (Amanda Craig)
Full of heart and emotion that might just bring a tear to your eye (Tom Fletcher)
All stars
Most relevant  
Soooooo funny omg so so so funny I like frank corrall Boyce he is funny

Funny

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marvelous and Peter Capaldi Is Simply perfect. I liked it very much. clear reading even for me who am not native English speaker. Perer Capaldi gives voice to all the characters with skill and professionalism. the story is great.

Amazing story, Amazing Capaldi

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We've come to love all Frank Cottrell Boyce's books and Sputnik is no exception. The imagination that goes into them and the bending of reality is superb. We read it first at bedtime and I really couldn't do justice to the accents required so I was really glad to see a real Scot narrating it. It's possible that Robbie Coltrane could have done a better job but both are way ahead of me.

The book could be described as one boy's experience of his primary carer falling victim to the onset of dementia and the very real consequences that has for him but if you then go on to say that the arrival of an alien on a mission to save our planet is thrown in it can only make your mind boggle.

It's fabulous. We thoroughly recommend it.

Great

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Peter Capaldi is the perfect reader for this complicated story. Touching, imaginative and good fun!

Fantastic performance from Peter Capaldi

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We listed to this as a family, with son (11) and daughter (9). It’s both laugh-out-loud funny and really thoughtful. An incredibly well-written story and Peter Capaldi’s telling adds so much. Would recommend to anyone!

One of the best stories I have ever heard

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I will be honest I brought this purely because Peter Capaldi was reading it and as expected, he gave another fantastic and highly entertaining performance.. The story itself turned out to be a fun and entertaining adventure while still tackling difficult subjects like dementia and foster care with a great deal of sensitivity. Highly recommend.

extremely entertaining

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this is the 1st of his books that educate the reader about dementia without relating back to something else

without actually mentioning the condition but having a family member myself with the condition I can tell its what its educating about

with a space travelling dog thats not a dog for good measure

fun and educational

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