Jeanne Willis has written a heart-warming and simple story of a little girl who believes she is living in the shadow of her older sister. She is searching for her opportunity to shine. Her grandfather sees this and tells the story of how “everything and everyone is made of stardust…” and shines in their own special way. He explains how we are all connected and gives her hope for the future.
The illustrations by Briony May Smith are gorgeous and bring life to the words on each page. She has captured the emotions and awe of the creation of worlds with her rich colours and beautiful depictions of creatures and people, all parts of the universe.
This story will resonate with every child who believes themselves not as clever or worthy of praise as their siblings and provides them with hope to, one day, shine in their own way. It shows a wonderful bond between a grandparent and child as he wipes away her tears and finds her wishing on a star. The little girl’s dream or ambition to be an astronaut is skilfully shown through the illustrations, as is her achieving this in time.
This is a book, that I will keep to read and reread to/with my young friends as they grow up, a book of hope and promise to be treasured and shared.
I would recommend this to anyone buying picture books for young children (2 – 8 years old), whether as gifts or for libraries.
Reviewed by Leanne Caune
Rating out of 10: 10
Distributed by: Allen & Unwin
Release Date: November 2017
RRP: $24.99
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