A beautiful story of a mother bear who tries to get a star for her beloved child. But as much as she tries, we all know that the stars are not reachable. A rhymed story, with beautiful illustrations, that reminds us of the beauty of the earth.

My kids absolutely loved this book. They were so engaged and loved the illustrations. We had such a good time reading this one.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for sending me an arc copy in exchange for my honest review.

The book was beautifully illustrated and the story enjoyable. I did feel I have several in this vain. I may consider adding this to my class library.

Look Up at the Stars by Katie Cotton - 5/5

This is such a beautiful story. A story that gives you goosebumps and helps you remember what it was like to be a child looking up to the sky and thinking it the world was just so big and wonderful. The story is told in a rhyme form, so it is easy to follow. A beautiful story with stunning illustrations by Miren Asiain Lora.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

4★
“Come close, my sweet child, let’s hug really tight.
Look up at the stars that sparkle, so bright.”

This is an attractively illustrated children’s book about a mother bear and a little bear. They stand at the window and look at the twinkling stars.

I love the illustrations and the little touches that aren’t mentioned in the text. For example, below is the image of them at the window, and hanging on the wall are not only pictures and drawings, but a yellow raincoat and a pair of binoculars. This is a family that gets out into the world around them!

My Goodreads review includes an illustration with the caption:
“Mom, look at the stars that shine above me.
If I could hold one how happy I’d be!”

Mom decides to do it – climb to a high spot and catch a star. But first, they must go through the woods.

My Goodreads review includes an illustration with the caption:
“We’ll go through the woods as night ends the day.
Through hallways of trees we’ll keep on our way.”

They begin walking hand in hand, and you can see the yellow raincoat and binoculars, ready for action. But as it gets scarier, you’ll notice the little one is high up on Mom’s back! (Have a look at the pythons and all of those eyes.)

My Goodreads review includes an illustration with the caption:
“While shadows and rustles might give us a fright,
and roots make us stumble, the stars give us light.”

On they go, braving the ocean -
My Goodreads review includes an illustration of the ocean.

Then they trek through the more woods in the snow and climb to the top of Mount Digger-Doo, where Mom leaps about, trying to catch a star. No luck.

My Goodreads review includes an illustration with the caption:
“I’m sorry, my love. I can’t catch a star.
The sky is too high, I can’t reach that far.
So now let’s go home. It’s dark and it’s late.
Don’t leave just yet, Mom. I see something … wait!”

Shooting stars! Across the water, across the skies and across the town, right down to their little lane.

My Goodreads review includes an illustration with the caption:
“Yes, there in our house a light softly gleams.
It takes away fear and it brightens our dreams.
We have our own star and it’s waiting below.
It’s shining so strongly, we just didn’t know.”

This is a lovely book to browse through. The illustrations outshine the poetry, but the message is clear. Of course we’re not going to go out into the night to brave the forests and roaring seas and wintry mountains to try to give our children everything they want, but they will enjoy seeing this pair make the attempt.

Meanwhile, appreciate what you have and don’t worry about greener grass or stars that you can’t actually catch. As the title says Look Up at the Stars! From down here, the night sky is glorious!

Thanks to NetGalley and Frances Lincoln Children’s Books for the preview copy from which I’ve share illustrations and text.

'Look Up at the Stars' by Katie Cotton with illustrations by Miren Asiain Lora is a picture book about love, family and home.

Told in a beautiful rhyme form, this book tells of a baby bear who wants a star and a determined mother bear who shows how far she will go for her child, and how sometimes the things we want were right in our own homes.

This is a gentle, wonderful story, perfect for bedtime. The illustrations spread across two pages each and are lush and peaceful.

Poems are such a gentle way of weaving stories; I appreciate them fondly when I find them in books for children. Within this picture book a mother bear promises to catch a star from the night sky & gift it to her child who believes that after catching a star, they will be the happiest they could ever be. Real life is seldom as we hope & the mother bear is unable to fulfill her promise—the sky is simply too high to reach.

Regardless of the disappointment at their realization, they come to the conclusion that the stars shine & guide the night in better ways than they might should they be helped in their own grasp. I cannot say if there is a particular moral to this story other than, perhaps, understanding that love & appreciation is a sentiment that resides in the heart & not the hand. The stars cannot be held back, nor can anyone we love so we must send them love through the mind & outward, just as the stars up above.

This is a lovely book whose illustrations, produced by Miren Asiain Lora, render it a perfect world to step into before bed. This is the style of story that would succeed well in a bedtime routine. The prose is gentle & soft; the imagery welcoming & warm. The world of the story resembles ours in a way as to leave the reader with tender recollections as they drift off to sleep.

Thank you to NetGalley, Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books, & Katie Cotton for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I've heard of someone being promised the moon before, but never a star . . .

When Mama Bear's cub wants to hold a star, mom sets out to deliver on that wish. This book delivers on that beautiful sentiment, accompanied by lovely illustrations.

(It also gives new meaning to "I can see my house from here.")

Thank you so much to net galley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book. I would definitely recommend this to all parents with small children

The cover and illustrations are what drew me to this book. They are, in a word, magical.

Thankfully so is the story. It's a magical adventure of a momma bear and her young one, traveling far and wide to catch a star's light, only to realize when looking back, that their very own house gives the very same glow.

Who doesn't love this kind of story, where a parent and a child can go on a journey together in search of the impossible made possible?

A sweet, beautifully illustrated book

Love the illustrations and the sentiment of this book, with the light of home being the star the bears needed, but I think for such a young audience, that main message was implied, or not spelled out quite as much, and I think I'd need to explain it if I was reading it to a small child. It's not super obvious that the little bear sees the lights of the town as stars, and that the light of their home is what they wanted after all. I'm also not sure that the repeated phrase is the key one: maybe it would have been nicer to have the repeated phrase tie in to the message a bit more.

Despite that, I think the book is lovely, and that young children will like the very nicely written rhymes and repetitive nature of the book, (I still remember Dance Away by George Shannon for the same reason). My rating is purely based on whether I'd buy it myself or recommend it to others.

A gorgeous story where a child wishes for a star and the parent promises they will get one. Together they journey as high as they can, through the city, forests and up the mountains but sadly find the stars out of reach. A wonderful ending when they realise that what they have at home is speical to them and they dont need a star to be happy. Home is all you need. Told in rhyme I can see this being loved by all ages. The illustrations are stunning too, capturing the journey through the different areas and the beauty of the night sky.

5 stars
What a beautiful book!
A perfect bedtime story for ages 1-5. Look Up at the Stars is a gorgeously illustrated book following a mom and child as they hunt for stars before bed. This story completely enraptured my four year old who was dazzled by the pictures and adored the rhymes. A great gift book for anyone looking for a special keepsake with lovely pictures.
Thank you to Netgalley for a copy to review.

A big thank-you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for giving me a copy of this book for an unbiased review.

5/5 - Loved it!

This is such a sweet and beautifully illustrated story. Though aimed at young readers, the rhymes flow beautifully and the cadence is soothing. The narrative also presents a challenge that young readers and their parents might share - that of wanting to achieve something impossible, only to recognize that what truly matters is already within their grasp. It's an important lesson both for children and for their caretakers. The illustrations that accompany the story are comforting but also very visually appealing - I enjoyed looking at them and they gave me a sense of peace and comfort.

I think this is a perfect bedtime story book and even as an adult, I enjoyed reading it very much.

This story is so sweet and is absolutely going to be a nightly favorite in our home. It’s the story of a young child and their mother, setting off an adventure to capture a star. The mom keeps persisting until she realizes it’s just out of reach and is reminded by her child that actually, down below there are bright glowing lights like stars…and it’s the homes in their village! The return home and feel the safety and security within their grasp. It was such a sweet story with gorgeous illustrations and make me and my daughter both feel safe and cozy!

This was a cute book. It had repetitive phrases which is good for younger kids. It had a heartfelt message but it was said or explained which made the ending seemed abrupt since the message was implied more than anything. I think kids could find it confusing because of that. The art was beautiful.

I got this on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

Okay first off: the illustrations look AMAZING! The night sky with the stars???? amazing! So cozy and beautiful!
I also love the poem, and how it repeats the main part several times! Always good to have repetition for younger readers, so a good plus for me! The message also hit very close to home (literally), and I could not recomment it enough! Very ""home is where your heart it, and home is your haven" vibes and I love it!

This is the perfect bedtime story for little ones!! The writing is beautiful and lyrical. It just flows off the togue so well. It's a lovely story about a child that wants a star to feel safe and happy and the mom that goes on an adventure to do that! The mama bear's love is almost tangible and as a parent you can certainly empathize and connect with her. What parent doesn't want to give their child the world? It's so touching to read! I love the ending - it wasn't what I excepted but I loved it all the more!

The illustrations are breathtaking! It's just the right amount of color and definition to draw you in but sparse enough that it doesn't overwhelm the sweet story! Buy it for the pictures alone because they're absolutely stunning!!! A beautiful book to share with a new mom or dad or with your own kids big and small!!

What if the light you need was with you all along? LOOK UP AT THE STARS is a beautiful, sweet story about a mother and child's special journey to catch a star. The illustrations are stunning with rich colours and imaginative scenes. The text is written with soothing refrains and parts for both mother and child. The story also conveys powerful themes of peace, gratitude, and love as the mother and child come to find the light they were searching for was in their own home all along.

What a beautiful book for sharing which is bound to be enjoyed by both the reader and their audience. The illustrations of the skies and stars are truly stunning. With its rhyming pattern and repeating refrain, this is a perfect read for a bedtime story. We will be buying a copy for our school library.