Daniel Riseman

They Return Daniel Riseman

A small spaceship crashes in the narrator's backyard, and the arrival of Sam, a friendly alien, transforms the narrator's life. Sam's ancestors used to live on earth but left due to the dinosaurs' inability to detect them.

He asks the narrator to take him on a tour of the neighborhood, and as they move through Sam's old stomping grounds, Sam becomes saddened to see the radical changes that have occurred.

When they return to the narrator's home, Sam is in tears. To make matters worse, his spaceship won't start. However, Sam stops crying when his mom, Rose, arrives in her own ship. She is pleased to know that the narrator will do his best to protect the planet; Rose promises that they will return in the coming years to check on the narrator's progress.

They Return blends elements of E. T. with The Lorax to inspire and empower children, reminding them that they are the Earth's caretakers.