STARS

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.