  | A bed of stars Author: Love, Jessica | |
| Price: $23.28 | ||
Summary:
A father and son load up Darlin', the old pickup truck, and drive over the mountain and set up their campsite. After sunset, Dad knows just what to ask-and just what to say-to soothe away his child's fears. Maybe this night spent under the stars (and a surprise from Mom and the baby later) are just what is needed to show that the universe is a friendly place.
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Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (02/01/23)
School Library Journal (06/01/23)
Booklist (04/01/23)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (+) (02/00/23)
The Hornbook (00/03/23)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 04/01/2023 A young child intimidated by the vast size of the universe has trouble falling asleep, so Dad plans a camping trip just for the two of them. They drive into the desert noting all that they see: plants, birds, and tracks in the sand. They build a fire, sing songs, watch the sunset, and snuggle into their truck bed to sleep under the stars. Dad allays his progeny's fears by explaining that stars are made of energy, the same as everything on Earth. Love (Julián Is a Mermaid, 2018) offers up a relatable, young protagonist seeking security and safety in the surrounding world. The watercolor, gouache, and ink illustrations privilege evening blues and desert earth tones that are enlivened by splashes of pink and green depicting flora, sunrises and sunsets, and clothing. Several of the spreads depict fantastical scenes as the child imagines a sky map filled with familiar plants, animals, and even the family truck. A reassuring look at our place in the universe. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.
School Library Journal - 06/01/2023 PreS-Gr 2—A young boy has a fear of going to sleep. "It used to be, when it was time for bed, I would imagine the whole universe stretching on endlessly, forever. The bigger it got, the smaller I felt. I was too worried to fall asleep." His mom and dad have a plan to help him face his fears, and the boy and his father get out of town for an overnight camping trip in the desert. They are going "to shake hands with the universe." On the way, they explore the flora and fauna of the desert, as well as the sunset, and eventually the stars. Through this series of small events, the boy comes to realize that he and the stars and all the nature around him are made of the same energy, and he finds comfort in sleeping in the truck bed with his father close beside him and a sea of stars that now have names. When he returns home, his mother has surprised him by sticking glow-in-the-dark stars all over his room so that he now has "the whole universe in my little bedroom." Love's illustrations, done in watercolor, gouache, and ink, capture the beauty of the desert as well as the love between the boy and his father. VERDICT In an essential book about facing almost any kind of fear, the creator's ability to honor those fears without making them the entire focus is truly remarkable and renders a universal appeal.—John Scott - Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
