Are Your Stars Like My Stars?

by Leslie Helakoski, Heidi Woodward Sheffield (Illustrator)

Overview

“We look at the world every day.
You and me.
Do we see the same things?
Do you see what I see?”
 
In beautiful, evocative rhyme, this lovely picture book helps children consider the colors of their everyday lives . . . and imagine how others around the world experience the very same things.
 
No matter where they live, all children gaze at the blue sky, bask in the warmth of the golden sun, dig in the rich dirt, and watch clouds grow soft and rosy at end of day. Through the eyes of one inquisitive and thoughtful young narrator, young readers explore the idea of perspective, and come to realize that all of us, everywhere, share the colors of the world. The gentle, poetic text and gorgeous collaged illustrations make this just right to say goodnight.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781454930136
Publisher:	Union Square Kids
Publication date:	01/07/2020
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	189,319
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD430L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Leslie Helakoski is the author of Sterling’s Hoot & Honk Can't Sleep, Big Chickens (the Michigan Reads Picturebook for 2007, Great Lakes Great Books Award, and a GLBA finalist), and Woolbur (a Book Sense pick for 2008, Florida Reading Assoc. Honor Book, and nominee for nine state book awards). Most recently she wrote and illustrated Fair Cow. Leslie lives in southern MI. Twitter: @helakoski.

Heidi Woodward Sheffield was a recipient of the 2017 SCBWI LA Mentorship Award and the SCBWI NY Portfolio Award (Honorable Mention), along with numerous other SCBWI awards. She lives in Northville, MI. Twitter: @wwwheidibooks.

Editorial Reviews

11/11/2019

Introspection goes global in this inquisitive lullaby. Helakoski’s gently rhyming lyrics accompany readers on an exploration of hues that contemplates the perspectives of children around the world: “Do you splash in a puddle/ when the world is washed clean?/ Are the leaves fresh and bright?/ Is your green.../ ...like my green?” The text emphasizes building empathy and suggests that all children, differences aside, view their surroundings with a universal curiosity. Though the tiny text can be difficult to read, page turns invite pondering. Dynamic and generously textured collage illustrations by Sheffield lend the hued romp friendliness and warmth, with a softness that amplifies the childlike narrator’s questions. An inclusive cast of children is depicted going about their everyday lives—engaging in activities such as playing soccer, picking apples, and baking cookies. The vivid, active spreads soon quiet into black and white, stirring somnolence, and text matches the mood: “Is the night sweet and sleepy?” A moonlit bed and starry snowscapes further the tranquility in this dreamy exploration of color and perspective. Ages 4–7. Author’s agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio. Illustrator’s agent: Laura Rennert, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

No matter how different our lives are, some things are the same. A child’s world is full of color—and, if they look closely, full of wonder. Most double-page spreads of this picture book feature rhyming verse set on the left-hand page that describes in developmentally appropriate language how a child narrator sees a color. Gold, for example, is ‘warm’ and ‘full of sparkle,’ whereas blue is ‘deep, wide, and open.’ Each stanza ends with versions of the same question, which concludes across the gutter or after a page turn: ‘Is your gold… / …like my gold?’ creating a repetitive pattern that will delight young readers. The text is accompanied by rich illustrations of diverse children from all around the world, including South Asia, Latin America, East Asia, and Western settings. The final page features a black child and a white child sitting arm and arm on a hilltop, looking at the same star, driving home the message that our similarities bring us together and our differences make us more beautiful. The best feature of the book is the highly textured, collage-style illustrations, many of which contain soft strokes of color that give the images a pleasantly dreamlike quality. . . . the book’s timely message of universality among diversity is a highly relevant one. —Kirkus

From the Publisher

02/01/2020

PreS-Gr 1—Children are asked to consider how people experience color across the world in this culturally diverse concept book. In a patterned text, readers learn about how children see and experience a variety of colors, including blue, gold, brown, green, yellow, red, pink, black, and white. For example, "Do you splash in a puddle/when the world is washed clean?/Are the leaves fresh and bright?/ Is your green…/…like my green?" A child in boots and a raincoat walking in a spring rain appears on the verso, while a girl peeks through a lush tropical rain forest on the recto. Neither locale is identified. The book concludes by asking readers if everyone sees the same thing, emphasizing what people have in common, with the last illustration showing two children sitting together and looking up at the same star. Helakoski's rhymes are lyrical and flowing, ready to be read aloud, and the style, which is question-heavy, encourages discussion. Sheffield's illustrations are bright, colorful, and eye-catching, making the title appropriate for group sharing. Although the diversity of places and people depicted, as well as the sentiment of the book, is admirable, there are some flaws in the execution. The tiny font often gets lost on the colorful pages and some colors inexplicably receive four pages rather than one-to-two pages. VERDICT Despite the flaws, this is a worthy addition to any children's collection and a unique take on a concept book for colors. Recommended.—Laura J. Giunta, Garden City Public Library, NY

School Library Journal

2019-10-23
No matter how different our lives are, some things are the same.

A child's world is full of color—and, if they look closely, full of wonder. Most double-page spreads of this picture book feature rhyming verse set on the left-hand page that describes in developmentally appropriate language how a child narrator sees a color. Gold, for example, is "warm" and "full of sparkle," whereas blue is "deep, wide, and open." Each stanza ends with versions of the same question, which concludes across the gutter or after a page turn: "Is your gold… / …like my gold?" creating a repetitive pattern that will delight young readers. The text is accompanied by rich illustrations of diverse children from all around the world, including South Asia, Latin America, East Asia, and Western settings. The final page features a black child and a white child sitting arm and arm on a hilltop, looking at the same star, driving home the message that our similarities bring us together and our differences make us more beautiful. The best feature of the book is the highly textured, collage-style illustrations, many of which contain soft strokes of color that give the images a pleasantly dreamlike quality. Unfortunately, the print is small, and the single lines that begin with "…like my" often get swallowed up in the pictures and are difficult to find.

Design flaws aside, the book's timely message of universality among diversity is a highly relevant one. (Picture book. 2-5)

Kirkus Reviews