Starred Review ALA Booklist (Mon Feb 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Starred Review Stars. Who hasn't looked up in the sky and contemplated their magical presence? On tall, oversize pages, mostly filled with a heavenly blue sky, diminutive kids point and watch as first one star appears, and then another, and another. The text asks, "What if you could have a star? They shine like little silver eggs you could gather in a basket." Unfortunately, you can't keep one, but you can draw a star on shiny paper and put it in your pocket. You could stick one on your shirt and be a sheriff or put one on a wand to make wishes come true. And as the text reveals, there are so many more things to do with stars. The winning combination of Ray and Frazee crystallizes these ideas into a near-perfect picture book that encourages children's minds to wander and wonder. The airy illustrations move across the pages like clouds in the sky, showing star shapes everywhere, even in strawberry plants, pumpkin vines, and snowflakes. In a final message, the book asks children to remember that stars are around whether you see them or not: "Every night. Everywhere." Lovely.

Horn Book (Mon Feb 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Ray's quiet, friendly narrative begins and ends with stars in the night sky. In between are musings about other kinds of stars: the ones you cut out of shiny paper and those found in nature (snowflakes, dandelion seeds), for example. Frazee's illustrations feature her signature spot-art vignettes that alternate with expansive full- and double-page spreads. A contemplative and lovely book.

Kirkus Reviews (Mon Feb 06 00:00:00 CST 2023)

A poetic paean to stars both real and metaphorical brings the heavenly down to readers without robbing it of mystery. Calmly and directly, Ray addresses the reader in this gentle, somnolent narrative. "A star is how you know it's night. / As soon as you see one, there's another, and another. / And the dark that comes doesn't feel as dark." Like a lulling tide, the text moves easily between grounded practical advice ("...[Y]ou can draw a star on / shiny paper and cut around it. / Then you can put it in your pocket") and naturalistic metaphor: "Blow a ball of dandelion and you blow / a thousand stars into the sky." Frazee excels at illustrating textual details in fresh ways, keeping young children engaged and curious. In a spread attesting that stars are there, even if they sometimes can't be seen, the artist depicts—low and dwarfed on the picture plane—a long row of people viewing spectacular fireworks. Her pictures ebb and flow with the text, alternating charming spots of self-possessed, spirited youngsters with ink-black or gloriously blue, starry heavens inviting dreamy meditation. Ideal for bedtime, this will shine on through repeat readings. (Picture book. 3-7)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Ray (Christmas Farm) and Frazee (The Boss Baby), two big talents beating as one, assemble a cast of junior philosophers to help them muse on why stars-as celestial bodies, as shapes, as symbols, as talismans-hold so much meaning and mystery for us. There-s not a lot of action, per se, although a spectacular sledding scene (-Snowflakes are stars-) will remind Frazee fans of the visual agility of 2003-s Roller Coaster. Rather, most of the vignettes are moments of reverie that come from staring at a night sky, sitting on a fence (-Yellow stars on pumpkin vines become October pumpkins-), or blowing on a dandelion (-...you blow thousands of stars into the sky). But while the prevailing tone is contemplative, it-s more quirky than languid, capturing the delicious freedom of Ray-s mind at play. Her prose wanders in the best sense of the word, and Frazee is happy to connect the dots and explore the detours, showing readers how stars can turn sticks into wands, cheer us up, or remind us, gently, of how much of the universe is beyond our grasp. Ages 2-6. (Oct.)

School Library Journal (Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 CST 2018)

PreS "A star is how you know it's almost night." So begins this lovely meditation on these entrancing celestial objects and how we mimic and use their shapes to make wishes, feel important, and remind ourselves to feel shiny, even when our spirits are low. Frazee also showcases the places in nature where stars can be found in different seasons of the year and how they have been gazed upon throughout the ages. The lyrical, engaging text and luminous images are perfect for one-on-one sharing at bedtime or in preparation for an evening stroll. Luann Toth, School Library Journal