TeachingBooks
Stars of the Night

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  • Publisher's Weekly:
  • Ages 7 - 11
  • TeachingBooks:*
  • Grades 1-8
  • Cultural Experience:
  • Jewish
  • Genre:
  • Nonfiction
  • Picture Book
  • Year Published:
  • 2023

The following unabridged reviews are made available under license from their respective rights holders and publishers. Reviews may be used for educational purposes consistent with the fair use doctrine in your jurisdiction, and may not be reproduced or repurposed without permission from the rights holders.

Note: This section may include reviews for related titles (e.g., same author, series, or related edition).

From Publisher's Weekly

January 2, 2023
Stelson (A Bowl Full of Peace) employs a communal we to narrate this story of 669 primarily Jewish children of the Czech Kindertransport rescued by British humanitarian Nicholas Winton (1909â€"2015). The 1938 Pragueâ€"set opening evokes sensory memories of comfortable childhoods: a picnic, sweet honey cake, ice-skating, hot cocoa. But as refugees arrive and Nazi forces approach, parents start making "arrangements" with an unnamed man. Soon, the children are told that they're "taking a holiday to England," with heartrending goodbyes preceding the children's travels to English foster homes. Five decades later, a scrapbook is unearthed, revealing Winton as the man whose planning saved not only them, but also "our children, our grandchildren, and all their children to come." Impressionistic acrylic, collage, and pencil art by Alko (I Is for Immigrants) is embellished throughout with sparkling stars and round yellow orbsâ€"reminders of "the stars of the night and the sun of the day" that, the children's parents' say, are "the messenger of our thoughts and love," as well as, perhaps, of Winton's indomitable spirit. An afterword provides extensive historical detail. Ages 7â€"11. Author's agent: Rubin Pfeffer, Rubin Pfeffer Content. Illustrator's agent: Marietta Zacker, Gallt & Zacker Literary. (Feb.)â— 

Stars of the Night was selected by educational and library professionals to be included on the following state/provincial reading lists.

United States Lists (1)

Caren Stelson on creating Stars of the Night:

This primary source recording with Caren Stelson was created to provide readers insights directly from the book's creator into the backstory and making of this book.

Listen to this recording on TeachingBooks

Citation: Stelson, Caren. "Meet-the-Author Recording | Stars of the Night." TeachingBooks, https://school.teachingbooks.net/bookResume/t/86776. Accessed 30 January, 2025.

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This Book Resume for Stars of the Night is compiled from TeachingBooks, a library of professional resources about children's and young adult books. This page may be shared for educational purposes and must include copyright information. Reviews are made available under license from their respective rights holders and publishers.

*Grade levels are determined by certified librarians utilizing editorial reviews and additional materials. Relevant age ranges vary depending on the learner, the setting, and the intended purpose of a book.

Retrieved from TeachingBooks on January 30, 2025. © 2001-2025 TeachingBooks.net, LLC. All rights reserved by rights holders.