The Four-Armed Alien

"Its a pity you only have two arms."
One night, while a boy was gazing at the stars, an alien with four arms appeared before him.
Surprised to see a boy from Earth with only two arms, the alien spoke with concern.
For the alien, having four arms was "normal." For the boy, having two arms was "normal."
"Its a pity..."
Yet, the boy has never considered himself inconvenienced or unfortunate.
Having four arms allows him to carry plenty of things
or drink juice while reading a book.
It certainly might be convenient.
But is convenience the same thing as happiness?
Aliens who had decided someone was to be pitied
judging them against the "normal" standards of their own planet
gradually come to realize their own preconceptions
through their dialogue with the boy.

As the alien was preparing to leave,
the boy asked:
"Aren't there any aliens with six arms?"
The alien replied,
"Yes, there are."
The boy smiled and asked,
"So then...
"Is it sad for you
to have only four arms?"
The alien thought for a long time then flew off into the night sky.
And finally, the boy asks the alien one last question.
This picture book tells a story through a humorous conversation between a boy and an alien that explores questions like "What is 'normal'?" and "Who decides what is 'pitiful'?"
It offers both children and adults a chance to gently re-examine their own values and assumptions.