In the Tree House by Andrew Larsen illustrated by Dušan Petričić

"It's hot. Really hot. I crunch on an ice cube to cool off. There's more ice melting in the bowl beside me. I can see the whole neighborhood from up here. It's pretty nice. There are lots of big, old trees. But there's only one tree house."

The family have moved to a new house and the best thing for the two brothers is the discovery of a huge tree just perfect for the building of a treehouse. The boys talk to their father and because he once wanted a treehouse too the three of them draw up some terrific plans and begin construction. As night falls the younger boy notices that here in the city there are no stars showing the sky. Why?

"My brother and I spent most of that summer in the tree house. It was the best summer ever. We had comics. We had cards."

But as time passes the older brother becomes less interested in the tree house and doesn't spend time playing with his younger brother any more until one night all the city lights go out. It is a blackout and suddenly all the stars in the sky can shine. The street turns into a party with torches and games and ice cream and best of all his brother climbs back up into the tree house - just like old times. 

Awards for In the Tree House:

• Jean Throop Book Award, Municipal Chapter of Toronto IODE Winner 2014
• TD Canadian Children's Literature Award, CBC Fan Choice Award, CBC Centre Awards Winner 2014
• Bank Street Children's Book Committee Winner 2014
• Shining Willow Award, The Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice Award Short-listed 2014
• Book of the Year 2013: Books for Young People, Quill & Quire Winner 2013
• Blue Spruce Award, Ontario Library Association Short-listed 2014

There are a few good ideas/life experiences in this book. Brothers who outgrow one another; seeing the night sky or actually not seeing the night sky because our city lights do not allow them to shine; and the wonder of changes that can happen in a community after a shared event such as a blackout.

Oddly the Kirkus reviewer did not really like this book but I think it could be a good addition to your school library. I have put a few other treehouse books in this post. My friend from Kinderbookwitheverything has a splendid Pinterest collection of picture books about Treehouses.

In the Tree House was published in 2018 BUT for once I have good news. The paperback edition is still available (check here).

A House for wombats

Happy Mouse Day

I previously talked about these books illustrated by Dušan Petričić:

Mud Puddle

The Man with the Violin

You can see books by Andrew Larsen here.

You might also try to find this book:

Lucky's Star: The story of a meteorite by Mark Greenwood illustrated by Lucia Masciullo

Just what is up there in the sky? The stars and the moon are so far away but they are so fascinating. Think about how you might feel if pieces of space - a meteorite - arrived in neighborhood. How exciting to actually touch a piece of rock from outer space. If you look closely at the end papers in Lucky's Star you can see a falling star - this is the meteorite heading to earth.

Lucky's Star is based on the true story of the Murchison Meteorite. Murchison is a town in Victoria and this meteorite arrived at 10.58 on Sunday 18 September 1969. Mark Greenwood takes this historic event and turns it into the personal story of a young farm girl named Lucky. And how lucky she was to see the meteorite and also to find a small piece.

"It was warm to touch and stinky when Lucky popped it in her pocket."

I really appreciated some of the word choices in this book which is one you could share with children aged 5+ - celestial spectacle; locals gossiped; alien germs; cosmic curiositis; baffled; shallow imprints and dimples; star-white flecks; cloaked in darkness; and contraption. You can find a link to the teachers notes on the publisher web page. With young children in your library you could also talk about the way Mark Greenwood has combined a fictional character such as Lucky (think about her name) with the factual events. There are some excellent information pages at the back of this book. 

Image source: Meteorite Times

Further reading:

• Museums Victoria
• ABC Science When a space visitor came to country Victoria
• The Shepparton Advisor newspaper

Lucky decides her little piece of meteorite might mean there is a gap in the sky so she tries to send it back into space. This reminded me of these terrific star books:

Laura's Star

The Lost Star

Star in the jar

Lucky's Star was published last month by CSIRO Publishing. Huge thanks for my review copy. This book is one children in your library are sure to enjoy and it will spark curiosity plus teachers could easily make use this book as part of a mini theme on stars and space. Older children could also use this book as a jumping off point for further research. 

Here are some other books illustrated by Lucia Masciullo:

Eat my Dust

Go home cat!

The Imagineer

Finally if you wanted a fun comparison book look for this one:

It fell from the sky

A Happy Place by Britta Teckentrup

"A little star shines brightly through the bedroom window. It shines down on a sleepless mind, spinning with restless thoughts. Follow me, whispers the star, 
and I will help you to find a happy place."

This book begs to be read aloud with words like tippy-toed squirrel, bushy-tailed fox, long-eared hare and starry-eyed stoats. Perfect for a preschool group or a young reading companion aged 4+.

In a few months I will be talking to a small group of local Teacher-Librarians. One of the things I want to share is the importance of sharing the BEST picture books from around the world both for their stories but even more for the way picture books give children of all ages (from youngest up to young adult) an experience of some of the best art in the world.

Nighttime is one of Teckentrup’s specialties, and this gently soothing tale is no exception; it’s sure to have little ones on their way to the sweetest of dreams in no time. Dreamlike, quiet, delightful. Kirkus

A Happy Place is another triumph by Britta Teckentrup and her artwork provides a perfect backdrop to the text. It is calm and comforting, full of nature and little details that can be pored over and explored. Just Imagine

Hopefully you have one or two books in your school library illustrated by Britta Teckentrup. Her art is simply incredible. A Happy Place has flaps and die-cut pages so I was amazed to discover it is not too expensive in paperback [9781838916596]. Pop the name Britta Teckentrup into my side bar or click the label on this post to see more of her books.

Where to Hide a Star by Oliver Jeffers

"Once there was a boy ... and together with his two friends ... he would often play hide-and-seek."

Boy does the counting because, well he is the only one of the trio who can actually count! It is clear early on that star is not very good at hiding and penguin always hides in the same place but nevertheless the three friends enjoy the routines of their game. Until ...  

Somehow (your young reading companion will see how this happened but the boy doesn't know) star is left behind and because he has been placed in a small rowing boat it is clear he will be more than just lost he will be washed far away. The scene where we see this happening is filled with drama and terror. 

Penguin and boy search high and low but star is nowhere to be found. The boy knows they need extra help, so he calls on his friend the Martian. Will they be able to find star? Where has he gone? Oh, and there is another problem - the girl who finds him would like to keep him as her friend too? How can this dilemma be resolved so everyone is happy? The second last illustration in this book is one to linger over. 

Now go back and find the first book where we meet star:

Reading Where to Hide a Star you are, I'm sure, going to think of the other book by Oliver Jeffers - Lost and Found which is where we meet Penguin.

Then I made this discovery. I have not read or seen the last two books mentioned here: HarperCollins Children’s Books published Jeffers’ debut, How to Catch a Star, in 2004 after it was discovered in a pile of unsolicited manuscripts. It was the first in a series of bestselling books featuring the boy and the penguin, including Lost and Found (2005), The Way Back Hom (2007) and Up and Down (2010).

There is a quality of a truly special picture book that comes when you think you know exactly where a story is going (and perhaps you are right) but the journey to arrive at that all important poignant and emotionally satisfying happy ending contains a surprise or two. I think it is essential for every school library to have all of these books and what a wonderful reading experience this would be for a class of young children to read one each day! And at the end of this fifth book I am sure you will agree there is room for another story. Certainly you will want to talk about what might happen next? Surely the boy will meet his new friend - a young Inuit girl - again. 

"I could barely remember how to paint the boy and the penguin, but once my watercolours were dusted off for first time since the last time these characters were painted, the colour combinations, techniques and brushstrokes all came back to me like a forgotten part of myself. It felt like a reunion with long lost family. Then to be able to continue the momentum of this old familiar world into new territory felt exciting enough to remind me of the time I made How to Catch A Star 20 years ago, and hopefully a whole new generation of kids will share that excitement", said Jeffers. 

Like Jeffers’ other boy-related tales, this one is distinguished by its tone; the author/illustrator excels at cultivating a rose-hued melancholy sweetness that will linger long after the book is closed. The palette of the textured watercolors changes according to location and emotion, with the firmament above appearing in a striking final black-and-white culmination. A gratifying story of loving and letting go. Kirkus

You can hear the author Oliver Jeffers (who was born in Australian but lives in Ireland) reading a tiny sample of his book here. 

You could explore a mini theme of books about the game of hide and seek. This is a fabulous choice because it is such a universal game and also it is a game that very tiny children play in the simplest way by hiding their eyes or seeing an adult carer hide their eyes to play peek-a-boo!

The Best Hiding Place

Molly, Olive and Dexter

The Snow Lion

Fish and Sun

What Stars are For by Margeaux Davis

Henry is a snail who loves to explore his environment during the night. He can burrow under fallen leaves, find water drops on spider webs, marvel at the construction of nest built by birds using twigs and he can see all of this because the moon lights his way. 

"But what are stars for? he would whisper to no one at all."

Because Henry has an unanswered question he decides to venture out in daylight and ask his question. The bee has no time for questions like this. The kookaburra thinks this is a ridiculous question. All the bandicoot can see is food - Henry quickly hides. Luckily there is someone wise who can help. That night Henry sees a wombat gazing up at the sky. He bravely asks his question one more time.

"Stars are for looking at together."

Sometimes in our rush to read a new book we forget to stop and look at other parts of the book such as the end papers and page layouts and colour palette. All of these features are beautifully designed in this book. You also need to stretch out the cover to see the front and back - the snail (his name is Henry) and on the back the wombat (her name is Celeste). This is also an example of a quiet story. Many years ago Mark McLeod talked about the importance of sharing quiet stories with our children. His comments inspired me to start a Pinterest on this topic. Think about the title too - the question is what are stars for but the title reverses this to what stars are for.

Here are the wonderful end papers which show the day and night setting for this story:

Image source: Instagram Telarahpslibrary

This book was published in 2024 so I am certain it will be a CBCA 2025 Notable title and I hope to also see it on their Early Childhood shortlist. Read more about Margeaux Davis. Take a look at this review. Make a plan to share this gentle story with a young reader today. Take a look at Instagram posts by Margeaux Davis. 

Companion book:

Where does Thursday go?

Here is small section of other picture books about stars. You can search for each of these titles using my side bar:

The Sideways Orbit of Evie Hart by Samera Kamaleddine

 

Evie lives with her mum, younger sister and stepdad. Lee met her mum on a holiday in Bali. He is originally from England and so I did enjoy some of his colloquial expressions. Evie is in Grade 6 and this is the year of change. Her stepdad Lee is leaving Sydney to go and work in Dubbo. There is a sense but it is not exactly specified that mum and Lee are now breaking up. Mum writes daily horoscope predictions for a major magazine and she is working on a book. Mum is often busy in her study but she does have a notice board in there which has wise phrases which at times are helpful to Evie. Up until now Lee seems to be the one holding the family together in terms of transporting the girls to school and activities and also doing the evening meal. Lee is still home for a few months and so he encourages the girls to make worry boxes. 

"Sadie was filling hers with loose little beads and small plastic toys she'd been collecting from Coles even though we were supposed to fill the boxes with feelings. The kind that made you worry."

Evie has so many worries. Will she forget Lee. Will he ever come back. How will she and Sadie travel 400km to Dubbo in western NSW. Why does Nicole pick on her in class. Will she find friends in high school. How will they eat when mum can't cook very well. 

Luckily Evie is enjoying her class with Mrs Owen who declares they will be studying the Earth and Solar System this year. I am a little bit confused about this because as a teacher I do know that no class ever works on one topic for a whole year - a term is the usual time frame for a science topic like this. Anyway, this means that there are heaps and heaps of facts about astronomy woven into the story. 

Publisher blurb: Evie Hart likes rules. A lot. But as she embarks on her very last year of primary school, it feels like all the rules around her are being broken. When Evie's class starts learning about the Earth's place in the universe, it makes Evie think about her own place in the world and where she belongs. Which has her more worried than ever. When your mum writes a horoscope page for a living, it's hard not to think about what the future holds. Especially when she and the only dad Evie has ever known are acting like they're on different planets. But the more Evie learns about the sky and the stars, the more she learns that changes in the world can't always be controlled. And maybe that's not a bad thing. From the inaugural winner of the Matilda Prize comes a tender and moving story about one girl's journey to find her place in the world.

If your reading friend aged 10+ is keen on space and learning more about the universe they are sure to enjoy all the lesson information Evie shares. This book might also comfort young readers who are going through changes in their lives. 

Readings Melbourne review: This is an enchanting read for young space lovers, with each scientific fact and astrological point aligning metaphorically with Evie’s changing life. It’s also a great read for when big feelings are overwhelming, for learning how to navigate anxiety and change, especially at home, and about extending kindness even in unexpected places. 

There are some marvellous characterisations in this novel, with primary and secondary characters created with authenticity and appeal, in particular, Evie’s garrulous friend, Farrah, and neighbour, Nance O’Neil, whose pink-iced buns are a weekly salve to the family’s ups and downs. Evie’s journey from her fretful worries to a more confident person, finding some security in her own identity, is a pilgrimage that most young people take, as they grow into the adults they will become. Just So Stories

Ada and the Galaxies by Alan Lightman and Olga Pastuchiv illustrated by Susanna Chapman

It is difficult to explain the delight I feel when I open a book and see glorious end papers. In this book they are decorated with sea creatures, seaweed fragments, and tiny plant treasures. I completely agree with Kirkus who say: Astonishing artwork shines. Good news - later this year this book will be available in a paperback edition. 

Here is the opening sentence of Ada and the Galaxies:

"Ada loves the stars. But in New York, the city lights make the night sky too bright to see the stars."

So Ada and her parents take a trip to visit their grandfather who lives on an island in Maine. After a day filled with exploring the beach Ada waits for the night so she can finally see the stars in the night sky. I loved the way her grandfather used high tide as a way to show the passing of time from day to night. 

Publisher blurb: New York Times best-selling author Alan Lightman, in collaboration with Olga Pastuchiv, brings galaxies close in a stunning picture-book tribute to the interconnectedness of the natural world. Layering photographs taken from the Hubble telescope into charming and expressive art, illustrator Susanna Chapman zooms in on one child’s experiences: Ada knows that the best place for star-gazing is on the island in Maine where she vacations with her grandparents. By day, she tracks osprey in the trees, paddles a kayak, and hunts for shells. But she’s most in her element when the sun goes down and the stars blink to life. Will the fog this year foil her plans, or will her grandfather find a way to shine a spotlight on the vast puzzle of the universe . . . until the weather turns?

Here are some brief teaching ideas from Candlewick Press. You can see inside this book at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast. Read more about the background to this book here. 

Aimed at primary aged children, this picture book is a tribute to the interconnectedness of the natural world, and to the precious gift of sharing experience and enthusiasm with those we love. Reading Time

This is a book to add to your school library collection but it also one that would be magical to share with just one or two children perhaps late at night and then you could all go outside and enjoy the spectacle of the night sky. 

My Pet Star by Corrinne Averiss illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw

A young girl finds a star under a tree. The star is damaged so she takes the star home and cleans it off, makes some repairs and they share a bedtime story. The star gradually gets better and begins to shine again and so one night the child decides the star needs to return to its place in the night sky.

You have probably read other books with this theme. You could share these with a child or this might be a little theme to explore in a preschool or kindergarten class.

Laura's Star

The Lost Star

Star in the Jar

Our major city department store - David Jones have a long tradition of creating and sharing a series of Christmas windows each year usually designed around a children's book or a famous Christmas story.

This year their choice is My Pet Star.  It is a sweet set of windows (as you can see above) but why did the visual merchandise department select this book? I am puzzled. This book comes from the UK. It is not a Christmas story. And it is not an especially new book - it was published in 2019. I guess this book might have come to the attention of the window designers because it won the Sainsbury's Children's Book Awards 2019 in the UK. I was pleased to see the Fiction winner in 2019 was The Umbrella Mouse.

Publisher blurb: A magical story about the importance of kindness and friendship. When a little girl finds a lost star, she takes it home and cares for it, just like a beloved pet. She reads it stories, makes it special snacks and tucks it into bed at night. The more she cares for the star, the brighter it glows. Until, one day, it's time to let go ...

In this video you can hear Corrinne reading her book.

Here are two books used for past David Jones window displays:

I have two posts featuring books illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw - Lulu Loves Stories and Just Right for Two.  Here are some other books by Corrinne Averiss: