Alien Brother 4: The Mystery of the Ancient Painting

Name: Alien Brother 4: The Mystery of the Ancient Painting
ISBN: 9787541169151

宁航一Sichuan Literature and Art Publishing House · ChinaJul 2026

3.6

Word count: 85 words
Chapters: 6
ISBN: 9787541169151

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Summary

In The Mystery of the Old Painting, Hayden becomes suspicious of a strange "old painting" and, with his younger brother Leo's help, uncovers its secret. Ning Hayden is a fourth-grade boy whose one wish is to have a younger brother. To his delight, he soon gets one—a brother from outer space. The arrival of the alien brother Leo brings unprecedented challenges and surprises to Hayden's life. Together with a few friends, they attend a mysterious summer camp, find an object worth ten billion yuan, wage the Great Cement Glue Battle, explore a magic cave, discover a secret in the sea of clouds... and encounter all kinds of alien gadgets: a normalization signal generator, a rising and falling slide, a space converter, a jet belt, a robot dog, and more. Alien Brother offers a lively, imaginative take on a human world where technology and life are fused, bringing virtual space vividly before young readers. The narrative is full of childlike spirit, showcasing the inclusiveness and breadth of science fiction from multiple angles, using words to explore the world's phenomena and imagination to uncover future possibilities.

Editor's review

This volume uses "a strange old painting" as its puzzle, introducing suspense into the Alien Brother series and letting Hayden gradually uncover the painting's secret with Leo's help. Rather than simply piling up adventures, this book emphasizes the process of "discovering a problem—pursuing clues—solving the puzzle together," so children naturally observe, infer, and verify alongside the characters as they read. The work offers an imaginative take on a human world where technology and life are fused, with virtual space vividly rendered in the narrative; the storytelling is full of childlike spirit and showcases the inclusiveness and breadth of science fiction from multiple angles. The old painting, juxtaposed as a traditional image with alien technology, creates tension between past and present and gives the story an entry point for cultural interest beyond adventure. The chapter rhythm suits middle-grade readers, satisfying curiosity about puzzles while offering topics for parent-child discussion on "how imagination can uncover future possibilities." As the fourth volume in the series, it continues the fun of the companion ensemble and alien gadgets while tightening the puzzle clues.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Middle-grade readers who enjoy puzzles and suspenseful clues
Children who have read the Alien Brother series and want to follow the characters' adventures
Readers interested in old paintings, traditional imagery, and science fiction combined
Parents who want to use stories to guide children's observation and reasoning

Not a good fit for

Readers who only want fast-paced action-adventure and lack patience for puzzle-solving
Readers new to the series who are completely unfamiliar with the characters' relationships
Readers seeking serious art history or authentic old-painting authentication knowledge

Reading tips

Before reading, look at the chapter titles and let your child guess what secret the "old painting" might hold.
At key clues, close the book and have your child state their reasoning before continuing.
After reading, draw a "clue map" with your child to sort out what the characters discovered.
Compare with the first volume to review Leo's alien gadgets and discuss which ones helped solve the puzzle.

About the publisher

Sichuan Literature and Art Publishing House China · Founded in 1984

Sichuan Literature and Art Publishing House is a professional literary and art publishing institution. It mainly publishes books on contemporary and modern literature, foreign literature, poetry and prose, music and art, and literary theory. Judging from the books in the database, the house places considerable emphasis on classic works and foreign literature. Representative titles include Lu Xun's Call to Arms and Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk, Lao She's Camel Xiangzi, Xiao Hong's The Story of Hulan River, J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, William Shakespeare's Hamlet, and Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha. Its translator resources include Deng Jiawan, Shi Zhongge, Du Yunci, and Zhu Shenghao. Common categories include social fiction, classic works, foreign literature, world classics, literary appreciation, and classical poetry, reflecting a publishing profile that balances Chinese and foreign literary classics with literary appreciation.

版权信息
人物档案
外星游戏机（一）
外星游戏机（二）
饥饿病
古画之谜

FAQ

Do I need to read the earlier volumes first?

It's recommended to read the earlier books in the series first, especially the first volume, to understand the relationship between Ning Hayden and his alien brother Leo and the basic setup of the companions. Although this volume centers on the old-painting puzzle, character interactions and gadget use continue from earlier books, so reading them first makes for a smoother understanding.

Is the mystery of the old painting hard to understand?

Based on the material, the story targets middle-grade readers; the puzzle-solving unfolds step by step through the characters, with Leo's help in uncovering the secret, keeping the difficulty within children's ability to follow. When reading together, parents can pause at key clues to help children organize their thoughts.

Can this book teach children about old paintings?

This is a children's science fiction story; the old painting mainly serves as a puzzle device to drive the plot, not as an art history primer. It can spark curiosity about old paintings and traditional imagery, but for systematic knowledge of old paintings, dedicated popular science or art books should be used alongside it.

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About the author

宁航一 Author · China · 1981

Ning Hangyi, whose real name is Ning Hang, was born on November 12, 1981, in Yibin, Sichuan. A graduate of Sichuan University, he is a Chinese suspense novelist, a member of the China Writers Association, and a contracted writer of the Ba Jin Literature Academy. Since 1999, he has focused on suspense, thriller, and mystery fiction. His representative works include the Youming Guaitan trilogy, 1/14, Super Taboo Game, and Doomsday Prophecy, and his books have been translated into English, Japanese, and Vietnamese. His writing often blends mystery and suspense with science fiction and social themes, as seen in the Super Taboo Game series and Mystery Puzzle, while the Alien Brother series for younger readers shows another side of his subject matter.