How to Catch a Star


From School Library Journal

PreSchool-K–In this whimsical picture book, a young stargazer decides he wants to catch a star. He ventures out at sunrise since he believes the stars will be “tired from being up in the sky all night.” He waits all day, only to see one at sunset. The many schemes he concocts prove ineffective, and the sad child heads home along the beach. When he sees a sea star washed up on the sand, he is happy at last to have a star of his own. Even as the boy’s original plan is counterintuitive, the rest of his schemes hold true for what a young child might dream up. The stylized watercolor cartoons are droll and lighthearted, resonating well with the tone of the story. Pair this with Kevin Henkes’s Kitten’s First Full Moon (Greenwillow, 2004) to share some midnight adventures at storytime.–Rachel G. Payne, Brooklyn Public Library, NY
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From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 2. Oliver is a young boy who loves stars and wants one for himself. But no matter how high he reaches, the stars he chooses are out of reach. The seagull can’t help him; perhaps a rocket ship might. Even when it seems that that a star has fallen into the water, Oliver finds he’s only grasping at a reflection. Jeffers uses a panoply of geometric figures (Oliver’s head is ball, trees are lines topped with circles and decorated with squares) colored in jewel tones to tell the story. Even though the pictures are spare, they have a haunting quality and much child appeal. Kids will like the end of the story, as well: Oliver finds a starfish on the beach that satisfies his longing. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews
“Sweet watercolor illustrations filled with geometric shapes help tell a story of big dreams and unexpected discoveries. A very popular book for little stargazers far and wide.” – Seira Wilson, Amazon EditorFrom the illustrator of the #1 smash hit The Day the Crayons Quit comes a story about wishing, persevering, and reaching for the stars. Once there was a boy, and that boy loved stars very much. So much so that he made up our minds to catch one of his very own. But how? Waiting for them to grow tired from being up in the sky all night doesn’t work. Climbing to the top of the tallest tree? No, not tall enough. The boy has a rocket ship . . . but it is made of paper and doesn’t fly well at all. In the end, just when the boy is ready to surrender, he learns that infrequently things are not where, or what, we expect them to be.Oliver Jeffers offers a simple, childlike tale of reaching for the stars, and emerging with a friend.
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