The Star in the Forest

Young siblings Maisie and Pip—one imaginative and intrepid, the other cautious and reserved—spend their vacation at their grandparents’ cottage. In the past, they’ve played together in the forest that surrounds their home, but never at nighttime when the eerie skies linger and strange sounds persist throughout the darkness. Then, one night when Maisie and Pip are staring into the night skies through a window inside the cottage, Maisie catches a surprising glimpse of a bright light with unknown identity. She insists she must go and discover what it is; her sense of adventure will not settle until she does. So she and Pip set off together for a night of excitement, bravery, fear, and disappointment. Pip is spooked by mysterious night creatures and, with sheer disappointment, Maisie finds “a lump of cold nothing” instead of something of extraterrestrial origins. She tells Pip it’s time to go back from where they came, but before they set off for their final destination, Pip realizes that upon close examination, they have come upon a fallen star – the object that had once lit their way and that was the source of their initial quest. As the two siblings approach the cottage, the night sky and creatures of the woods are illuminated by the sparkle of the fireflies, bringing the forest alive once again.

In The Star in the Forest, debut author and award-winning illustrator Helen Kellock demonstrates how two young siblings with truly different personalities can make it in the world by drawing on each other’s strengths and capabilities. They make their existence together a fond and collaborative one, sending an important message to siblings at odds. In tandem with this, Kellock displays the genuine inquisitiveness and pure wonderment of children as they explore nature in search of something bigger than themselves. Her inviting and captivating illustrations sweep across the pages with a warmth that is comforting. Young ones will find them alluring, while older children will likely be drawn to the fine details within. This neat story is ideal for sharing with children as young as four and as old as eight or nine. The reading level of the text is between second and third grade. Furthermore, this high quality picture book is large in size and bound tightly, making it one that will last through the test of time and youthfulness.