The Book Star
By Bec Nanayakkara &Joanna Bartel
Reviewed by Sandy Driessens
“Every night, Grace whispered, ‘Space is the greatest place!’ before she went to sleep”.
Grace would know because she owns thirty-seven books about space, and she had read them all. So, when her teacher announcesthe class Book Week party, Grace has wonderful astronomical ideas for her costume. But … when her classsmates say that Space is ugly, boring and weird, while their choices are pretty, super and terrific, Grace has to decide what she wants to do and who she wants to be. So, does she follow her heart? Of course she does, because for Grace, ‘Space is the greatest place’.
Bec Nanayakkara, using simple sentences has captured the enthusiastic fascination that Grace has with all things Space. In her search for the perfect costume, readers learn some fascinating facts about space that are suitable for a young audience. Alliteration and onomatopoeia used in describing her classmates’ costumes make them seem exciting but with the snipping, stitching, sticking and sprinkling done by Grace the attention is brought back to her choice.
Joanna Bartel, a designer and illustrator, with a background in teaching, has created enchanting, expressive characters in Grace and those around her. Her mages of Grace make her thoughtful and intelligent and though the children around her say things that are not kind, they are still appealing. Bartel’s double page spreads, of paint and pen, depict the vastness of space with the black background, sprinkles of stars and moving galactic bodies. The playground images have details, to search for, that are uniquely Australian. Bright colours, varying textures and playful elements in the children’s costumes at the party, make it a wonderful illustration. Of course, there are plenty of ‘spacey’ references in Grace’s bedroom and on her clothes.
The cover of this delightful story says it all. The little girl on the cover is The Book Star. She understands what makes her happy and makes a decision, in the face of peer pressure, to be true to herself. Anyone who has had a child or been a child with an obsession will relate to this story. I enjoyed it immensely and believe it encourages children to be themselves. I recommend it for parents, carers and teachers of 4- to 7-year-olds.
Affirm Press, 2024
