Review by Booklist Review
A young Black girl gazing out her window notices a particularly bright star. Reading with her mother, she learns that it is a supernova, a giant dying star, and this new interest helps the girl find her voice at school. With scientific information incorporated into the fictional story, the girl and the reader gain greater knowledge as she trains to be a scientist and astronaut, though the inspiring story maintains a light touch. Ever driven by a desire to actually meet her special star, the girl succeeds through her efforts and hard work, with no outside forces imposing limits on her. Soft colored-pencil and Photoshop illustrations employ a palette of blues and grays that emphasize her steadfast passion for the night sky. The fading supernova beautifully symbolizes the idea of legacy. Its light inspires the girl, and then, as the girl achieves her goal of traveling in space, the star moves to the next phase, breaking into smaller, younger stars. They and the now-grown girl will illuminate a path for future curious children.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A sighting of a supernova in early childhood launches a Black girl into an enduring fascination with stars and space--with particular compassion for the one she first saw--in this well-paced picture book. Lucianovic emphasizes how the child's wonder and concern evolve into a career path, as she speaks to the star throughout primary school, college, and eventually as an astronaut. Descriptive prose focuses on lyricism over transmitting information: "It could become a neutron star, made of material so heavy that a teaspoon of its shimmering, blazing star stuff would weigh as much as a mountain." Harrison's characteristically absorbing illustrations, rendered in colored pencil and digitally, make vivid use of chiaroscuro, offering mesmerizing, photorealistic spreads of skies and space in this narrative ideal for young astrophiles. Back matter features an author's note. Ages 4--8. (Oct.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A girl sees a brightly burning star in the night sky and is curious, but she becomes concerned when she learns that the star is dying. Enamored by a bright shining star she learns is a supernova, the little Black girl sets out to learn everything about it she can. She asks questions about stars in school and reads books about stars. Every night she whispers to her star so that it knows it's not alone. As time passes, she learns that her star is a blue giant, a rare sight from Earth. As a young woman, she goes to college to study stars and space, convinced that she will find a way to her star. And so she does. All grown up, the woman becomes an astronaut and authority on stars and space. She arrives in space just in time to witness her star fade to darkness and then burst into more bright, shining stars. Based on a conversation the author had with her son, this book celebrates a child's curiosity and compassion. Though not based entirely on scientific facts, this book will stand up as an introduction to space and stars for very young readers. Harrison's dreamy, blue-toned illustrations are a hit; front and rear endpaper illustrations artfully attest to the protagonist's lifelong interest in space. The author's note discusses the book's inspiration. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Share with your favorite future astronauts. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
