There is a wonder and magic to childhood. We don’t realize it at the time, of course . . . yet the adults in our lives do. They encourage us to see things in the stars, to find joy in colors and laughter as we play. But what happens when that special someone who encourages such wonder and magic is no longer around? We can hide, we can place our heart in a bottle and grow up . . . or we can find another special someone who understands the magic. And we can encourage them to see things in the stars, find joy among colors and laughter as they play. Oliver Jeffers delivers a remarkable book, a tale of poignancy and resonance reminiscent of The Giving Tree that will speak to the hearts of children and parents alike.
From Booklist A little girl delights in the boundless discoveries of the world around her with an older gentleman, likely her grandfather. But then the man’s chair is empty, and the girl puts her heart in a bottle to help with the hurt. As she grows older, she loses her sense of wonderment, and it isn’t until she meets another young girl that she finds a way to free her heart again. This book showcases some absolutely captivating artwork. The way in which Jeffers employs pictures in word balloons to convey the limberness of imagination is brilliant: the man points to the sky to talk about constellations, while the girl sees stars as inflamed bumblebees. But what begins promisingly runs into trouble, and it’s not clear who the message is directed toward: children just opening their eyes to the world, or parents who have lost their sense of curiosity? Even if children don’t glean much from the abstractions and subtleties of the narrative, they’re nevertheless in for a treat with the unforgettable visuals of imagination at play. Preschool-Grade 1. --Ian Chipman
북아일랜드의 화가이자 작가입니다. 울스터 대학을 졸업했고 런던, 뉴욕, 시드니, 벨패스트, 글렌고믈리에서 그림 전시회를 가졌습니다. 첫 번째 그림책인『How to catch a star』는 나오자마자 국제적인 명성을 얻었고, 북트러스트 상과 비스토 상 후보에 올랐습니다. 두 번째 그림책『Lost and Found』역시 2006 스톡포트 상과 케이트 그린어웨이 상 후보에 올랐고 2005년에는 네슬레 어린이 책 시상식에서 금상을 받았습니다.