How to Catch a Star

My 3 year old son absolutely loves this book. He relates so much to what the boy goes through. Having a rocketship that doesn't work too well. Trying to find a seagull that will help fly him up. Finding a tall tree to climb up. He has the entire story memorized and when we read it, we really do read it together.

The illustrations are very well done. The shadows move under the trees as the time changes from dawn to morning to lunch to afternoon to evening. The story is simple, but you can talk to your child about what they would do the same or differently on each page in trying to catch a star.

Each page can be viewed from an adult perspective or a child's perspective. Does the boy just find a starfish? Or did the boy find the shooting star from three pages back?

My son just turned 5, and this book has gone into the top rotation over the last 3 or 4 months. He has also taken a great interest in space over the same period. He wants to travel to Mars, since I pointed out in the night sky recently. He's asking about other planets, that sort of thing.

Anyway the illustrations are beautiful, Jeffers style can appeal to the young and old. The story plays upon a young child's wish to have a star of their very own, and the ways a young child would dream of catching one. I think a precocious three year old, up to a 6 year old could enjoy this story.

And just about every parent.

My 3.5 year old son and I thoroughly enjoy this book. I also read it to my preschool class and it was a big hit. I think any age group can relate to the emotions in the book. Very sweet

How to Catch a Star is a story of a young boy who tries again and again to catch a star, then sees a star reflected in the water and figures it fell from the sky. He tries to grab it, but it just slips through his fingers. On the walk along the beach to his home, he finds a starfish and thinks it's a star from the sky. The last picture is of the boy sitting with his starfish and reading to it. Even though the story has been told before (think Pooh), it's always magical, and the illustrations are simple, yet mesmerizing. This is a wonderful bedtime book and would also make a great read-aloud in a classroom, where it could be used in a beginning astronomy unit.

Bought this for my 3 year old son a year ago. He just loves it! He asks for me to read it to him over and over again at bedtime. I bought it again a few weeks ago to give to another little boy along with another copy for a charity organization for the holidays. I think it's a wonderful book!