The Stars Just Up the Street

by Sue Soltis, Christine Davenier (Illustrator)

Overview

A grandpa’s memories of brilliant night skies inspire a little girl to take action in a tale for budding community organizers and star lovers alike.

Mabel loves stars. She counts five from her window and thirty-seven from her backyard. But her grandfather tells her that, as a child, he could see thousands. Could it be true? Mabel climbs a hill looking for more stars — only to discover that the glow from the nearby town makes them hard to see. What would it take for her neighbors to turn off their lights, just for one night, so that everyone could see the starlit sky? Sue Soltis’s tale of a young activist and Christine Davenier’s luminous illustrations will leave readers curious about the dark-sky movement — and the wonder that is waiting for them just up the street.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763698348
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	03/17/2020
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 11.30(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Sue Soltis is the author of the picture book Nothing Like a Puffin, illustrated by Bob Kolar. She lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Christine Davenier is the award-winning illustrator of many picture books, including Nadia: The Girl Who Couldn’t Sit Still by Karlin Gray and The Cat With Seven Names by Tony Johnston. Christine Davenier lives in Paris.

Editorial Reviews

01/06/2020

“Mabel loved the stars,” writes Soltis (Nothing Like a Puffin)—she could count 19 from her backyard’s “narrow patch of sky,” but in Mabel’s town, the streetlights and houselights make it impossible to experience the kind of prairie night skies that her grandfather recalls from his youth, when “meteors there fell like rain.” What can one kid do? With Grandpa’s encouragement, Mabel begins by urging her neighbors to turn off their lamps and remind themselves of the celestial show above their rooftops (“Look, the Big Dipper!” shouts one neighbor in amazement). Then, by marshalling support from more townspeople and reminding the mayor that everyone was once a starry-eyed kid, Mabel succeeds in getting the town to dim the streetlamps during the next new moon. A crowd turns out on the hill up the street from where Mabel lives, and stargazing becomes a community tradition, with “telescopes, binoculars, egg salad sandwiches, and strawberry pies.” Davenier (Snowy Race), whose talents seem tailor-made for this material, matches the text’s plainspoken momentum. Animated ink washes capture both Mabel’s earnest determination and the wonder of what means so much to her: a dark night sky of deep blue and lavender, gloriously dotted with stars. Ages 3–7. Author’s agent: Susan Hawk, Upstart Crow Literary. Illustrator’s agency: Studio Goodwin Sturges. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Graceful, readable text underscores the protagonists' loving relationship. The art—watercolor washes over ink—is a sweet complement, whether portraying daylight excursions or revelers under the increasingly starry sky...It takes a village to control light pollution…gently inspirational.
—Kirkus Reviews

Davenier (Snowy Race), whose talents seem tailor-made for this material, matches the text’s plainspoken momentum. Animated ink washes capture both Mabel’s earnest determination and the wonder of what means so much to her: a dark night sky of deep blue and lavender, gloriously dotted with stars.
—Publishers Weekly

The narrative and dialogue flow quite naturally, and Davenier’s artwork, created with fluid black line drawings and colored inks, is captivating, particularly in the final series of spreads showing the contented townsfolk gazing up at the deep blue, star-spangled sky. An inviting picture book to share with children.
—Booklist

Davenier’s loose-lined, informal ink illustrations are friendly and literally illuminating, with pools of yellow light spilling over the streets and creeping along the horizon...an eye-opening introduction for youngsters to thoughtful pushback against a big manmade change.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

The illustrations, done in ink, are soft and dreamy and depict the gradual progression of a sky with few stars to one covered in spectacular light. Readers will be left curious about real-life efforts to enjoy the natural beauty of the night without the interference of manufactured light. A story that inspires all ages to speak up and take action to positively affect the world around them.
—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

02/01/2020

K-Gr 2—Mabel loves star-gazing and is intrigued when she hears that her grandfather used to be able to see thousands of them in the night sky when he was a child. Mabel is inspired when she learns that all that needs to happen to see a multitude of stars is to gaze at the night sky in complete darkness. She starts a campaign to have the community engage in a lights-out night to create the perfect environment for star-gazing. Her efforts require tenacity and perseverance, but Mabel ultimately achieves her goal and brings a community together in the process. One voice, one idea, really can make a difference. The idea that anyone, even a young child, with a passion for change can impact an entire community is extremely powerful. Readers will be inspired to stick with and pursue their dreams, undaunted by naysayers. The illustrations, done in ink, are soft and dreamy and depict the gradual progression of a sky with few stars to one covered in spectacular light. Readers will be left curious about real-life efforts to enjoy the natural beauty of the night without the interference of manufactured light. VERDICT A story that inspires all ages to speak up and take action to positively affect the world around them.—Amy Shepherd, St. Anne's Episcopal School, Middleton, DE

School Library Journal

2019-11-24
Can Mabel and Grandpa convince others to shut off lights in order to stargaze?

Mabel's grandfather loves telling tales of the night sky over the prairie where he grew up. Mabel is especially drawn to his stories of stars since she loves looking up at the five stars she can see from her bedroom window and the 19 "from her backyard in a narrow patch of sky." She and Grandpa take a night walk, seeking the thousands of stars visible during Grandpa's childhood. They enlist some neighbors to shut off lights and join them—then about 200 stars can be seen. Realizing that more stars will be visible only if the streetlights are temporarily off, Mabel and Grandpa appeal to the mayor—and are refused. Undaunted, the duo begins a campaign flooding the mayor's office with support from many residents, but she still refuses, citing her commitment to safety even when a police officer and a parks and rec worker contradict her concerns. Finally, Mabel finds a way to the mayor's heart; the story ends with a community event that promises to become traditional. Graceful, readable text underscores the protagonists' loving relationship. The art—watercolor washes over ink—is a sweet complement, whether portraying daylight excursions or revelers under the increasingly starry sky. Mabel, Grandpa, and the mayor are white; there are people of color among town employees and residents.

It takes a village to control light pollution…gently inspirational. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews