Stella, Princess of the Sky (Stella and Sam) [Hardcover]

Marie-Louise Gay (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 2 and up | Series: Stella and Sam

In this sweetly humorous book, Stella and her brother, Sam, explore the wonders of the natural world. A vast luminous sky, the sun, the stars, and the rising moon form the backdrop for their nocturnal expedition. As they encounter raccoons, fireflies, tree frogs, and bats, Sam wonders if the moon can swim, if the sun wears pajamas, or if he can catch shooting stars with his butterfly net. Stella, as always, has an answer for every question. Marie-Louise Gay's whimsical prose and enchanting illustrations capture the joys of young children making their first discoveries of the world around them.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2–With charm and whimsy, Stella and Sam are back, this time spending an evening outside watching daylight fade into dusk, then night. Sam is the quintessential preschooler–full of wondrous questions. Big sister Stella is the authority on their domain, effectively answering him and calming his fears. " 'Why is [the sky] so red?' asked Sam. 'Can't you see? It's wearing red pajamas.'" She points out a family of raccoons. " 'Why are they wearing masks?' asked Sam. 'Are they robbers?' 'No, they're going to a costume party,' said Stella." The detailed illustrations effectively capture the deep blues, blacks, and grays of night, while also illuminating the siblings with pale azures, sage greens, and soft lavenders. This is a quiet star of a story that works well either as a group read-aloud or as a bedtime treasure to share one-on-one.–Lisa Gangemi Kropp, Middle Country Public Library, Centereach, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS. Flame-haired Stella returns with more fanciful explanations for her inquisitive younger brother, Sam. This time, Sam is puzzled by the night sky, and Stella answers his questions with her familiar whimsy. "Can the moon fly?" asks Sam. "It floats in the air like a balloon," Stella answers. Preschoolers may chortle over Sam's naivete, but they'll definitely appreciate his honest struggle to grasp cosmic subjects, as in his reply to Stella's balloon comparison: "Who's holding the string?" Gay won Canada's Governor General Award for her illustrations in Stella, Star of the Sea (1999), and here, her joyful, airy watercolors, dabbed with bits of collage and opaque paint, are just as fine as they show the siblings side by side under a sky of shifting stars. Pair this with Charlotte Zolotow's Do You Know What I'll Do? (2000) for another elegantly simple, sweet view of a protective older sister and younger brother who play and wonder together. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 2 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Groundwood Books (July 22, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0888996012
• ISBN-13: 978-0888996015
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 9.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #584,471 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A simply told magical story, July 11, 2005

By 

mcandret - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stella, Princess of the Sky (Stella and Sam) (Hardcover)

This book is a wonderful story about Sam, Stella's younger brother, who is full of questions about the sun, moon and stars. Stella has simple, heartwarming explanations for Sam. These are illustrated beautifully by the author in dreamy watercolors. The dialogue is well-written and realistic. I think that's why my daughters love Stella and Sam so much -- they've had similar conversations. A book that will be read again and again, Marie Louise-Gay shows us the beauty in the simpler things in life.

5.0 out of 5 stars My graddaughter loves it., January 31, 2012

By 

Sherri D "Crazy dog lady" (Rural California, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Stella, Princess of the Sky (Stella and Sam) (Paperback)

This was a Christmas gift for my granddaughter. She loves the story. I will buy other books in the Stella series

5.0 out of 5 stars books, June 17, 2009

By 

Stella M. Amos (West Virginia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Stella, Princess of the Sky (Hardcover)

I really like the Stella books. They are very worthwhile stories for children, and that red-headed Stella and her brother, Sam, are so cute!! This one made me cry, because my grandson was getting ready to move to Africa. I hope the stars remind him of his grandmother, too.