Star in the Jar by Sam Hay illustrated by Sarah Massini

At the park one day a little boy, who is exploring with his sister, finds a star. It looks very special. He asks everyone about the star - the dinner lady, the sheriff, the fairies and a wizard but no one seems to own this star so the little brother decides to keep it. He puts it in a jar and carries it everywhere but

"As the day turned into night, the little treasure got shinier. But it didn't look happy."

Then a message appears in the sky. Lost One Small Star. The little boy and his sister need to think of a way to return the star. Their solution is so creative (you could have a brilliant discussion with a class about the ideas the children consider) and in the process the little boy makes a wonderful new friend.

Star in a Jar was made into a stage show in London:

An exceedingly enchanting story that encapsulates both the awe and wonder of the stars, the night sky and of the unique bond betweensiblings. So much so that I can really envisage this book being both a superb choice and a thoroughly rewarding experience for older children to read to their younger siblings. The Reader Teacher

Tender and loving. Kirkus

Very special this one, a perfect bedtime tale. Read it Daddy

Here is an interview with Sam Hay and Sarah Massini. I was amazed to read they had never met.

It is fun to make connections between books.  Finding a star (or something from space), keeping it for a while and then sending it back where it belongs could be a mini topic for a group of Kindergarten students.  Here are some books to use for this idea:

Here are some other books illustrated by Sarah Massini which I have added to my "to read" list: