We tell kids to reach for the stars, but when it comes to such broad advice, it can sometimes be hard for kids to fully understand the lesson. After all, stars are pretty far away, and kids’ arms aren’t very long.
These 6 celestial children’s books break down important life lessons for kids, incorporating them into the narrative in a way that’s easy for young readers to grasp. Focusing on aspects of astronomy like the stars, the sun and the moon, these books provide stellar advice for young adventurers on their way to explore everything this universe has to offer.
How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers
“Once there was a boy, and that boy loved stars very much.” With this soft, fairytale beginning, we join on an adventure with a determined young boy as he looks to make his way into the sky. Climbing a tree doesn’t bring him high enough, nor does his paper-crafted rocket ship. It’s only when the boy starts looking around rather than up that he realizes that sometimes, friends can be found in the most unexpected of places.
How to Catch a Star is the first in a four-book collection — check out our listicle where we featured a follow-up in the series, The Way Back Home, as well as our coverage on the Oliver Jeffers book and animated short (narrated by Meryl Streep!), We Are Here: Notes For Living On Planet Earth.
SkySisters by Jan Bourdeau Waboose, illustrated by Brian Deines
On a frigid night in the north country of Canada, two Ojibway sisters set out to follow their grandmother’s guiding words: “Wisdom comes on silent wings.” The younger sister finds the silent part of this quest particularly difficult, but with time and encouragement she learns to appreciate the extraordinary night. The two are in search of the SkySpirits that dance through the night sky — also known as the Northern Lights. The trek through the winter night is no easy journey, but as the two sisters make their way to Coyote Hill, they’re rewarded with an unforgettable experience as they watch the otherworldly dance together. SkySisters encourages us to take a moment to notice the beauty in the quiet stillness that we are sometimes too eager to fill — and that our loved ones are excellent co-adventurers on our journeys into the unknown.
The Night the Stars Went Missing by Arthur Gonzalez, illustrated by Krapivina Olga
Winston’s grandma always used to say that the stars were made of promises, and that they would always be there to watch over him. But Winston’s grandma is gone … and so are the stars! When he sets out in search of them, Winston discovers the shocking truth — the stars have up and left because of the broken promise that humans made to protect and care for the Earth. Now it’s up to Winston to make this all right and convince the stars to come back.
A multifaceted story of grief, keeping promises and climate activism, The Night the Stars Went Missing combines these elements with tenderness and a whole lot of heart. The book reminds us that when we feel sadness and anxiety, harnessing these emotions with action can help us move towards healing — and towards making our world a better place.
To learn more about The Night the Stars Went Missing, read our full review.
Nigel and the Moon by Antwan Eady, illustrated by Gracey Zhang
Every night, Nigel whispers his dreams to the moon. He pictures himself becoming a dancer, an astronaut or even a superhero. But while his nighttime imaginings are full of wonder and promise, Nigel feels much less self-assured during the day. As the only dark-skinned student in his class, he feels alone and struggles to find a sense of belonging. But Nigel’s parents are there to support him and be the wind beneath his wings. And the moon is there for him too, shining bright as Nigel reaches for the night sky with open arms, confident in his ability to fly towards his bright future. Nigel and the Moon reminds these readers that we cannot limit our dreams to others’ preconceived notions, and that we are always capable of so much more than we can even imagine.
For more reads like Nigel and the Moon, check our other listicle here.
I Touched the Sun by Leah Hayes
“His mother says it’s too far away. His dad says it’s too hot. And his brother says he has more important things to do.” But no one of these discouragements are going to keep this young boy away from the source of his curiosity — the Sun, with its beautiful warm light. And it turns out that the Sun is just as eager to make a new friend. She shows the boy how the world looks from her perspective, and he shows her what it’s like to be down on the surface, with dreams and anxieties and everything that encapsulates the human experience. The boy returns to the Earth with a deeper understanding of light — both the sunlight from the sky and the power of his own inner light. It turns out there might be a little bit of that cosmic power in all of us.
Catch the Sky: Playful Poems on the Air We Share by Robert Heidbreder, illustrated by Emily Dove
“What do you see when you look up at the sky?”
That’s what lauded children’s poet Robert Heidbreder asks young readers with his 30 poems, all centering around common sights in the sky. Celebrating shooting stars and falling snow, constellations and condensation (rain!), these poems capture the magic of nature and encourage young readers to take time and notice the everyday beauty around them. With “lighthearted poems [that] will entertain the youngest nature and poetry enthusiasts,” according to Publishers Weekly, Catch the Sky reminds us that everyone shares the great big space above us, and appreciating a part of nature that we all have in common is something that can bring us together.
