STAR STUFF

A whimsical tale that creatively introduces three constellations.

Specialists in Sky Repair, Giovanni, a jolly, light-skinned mustachioed fellow, and his sweet donkey, Lorenzo, roam the skies as custodians of heavenly matter. They fill holes in the universe with “star stuff,” which magically morphs into bright stars. When Lorenzo’s hoof is trapped by a nebula, Giovanni needs help freeing his friend. Who can help them? Readers meet Orion, the Hunter; Taurus, the Bull; and Cancer, the Crab, as they try to pull Lorenzo out of trouble, echoing Winnie-the-Pooh’s sticky situation. Raschka’s soft and luminous illustrations engage, with bold brush strokes that create celestial energy. The pops of red on the donkey’s bridle and Giovanni’s hat and shoes provide excellent contrast to the dark heavens. The text pales in comparison. The rhyming has an uneven meter, making reading aloud clumsy. Both nebulas and constellations are undefined (do nebulas have gravitational pull?), and the constellations quickly enter and exit the scene—a missed opportunity to offer clues to both the science and the mythology. Yet the man and his donkey, like Sancho Panza and Dapple, are affectionally portrayed, full of compassion and care for each other. This is a curious introduction to constellations—a better story about helping one’s donkey friend. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Dreamlike and quirky.