By David Almond (author) , Gill Smith (illustrator)
" A loving father empowering their child’s imagination"
Paperback In Stock £7.99 £7.19
Hardback In Stock £12.99 £11.69
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December 2023 Book of the Month
This beautiful picturebook has grown from a poem the award-winning author contributed to The Book of Hopes collected by Katherine Rundell during the dark days of lockdown.
There it begins by inviting the reader to make a picturebook “Here are the Words. Now do the pictures” and delightfully that is exactly what Klaus Flugge shortlisted artist Gill Smith has done. In warm autumnal shades and the vivid deep blues of nighttime, these mixed media images bring the story to life.
“The boy” has become Joe and we meet him gazing out of his bedroom window at the stars. The bedroom has evidence of his astronaut and engineering ambitions, with planet mobiles and poster, rockets and towers. The illustrations also bring out the lovely father/ son relationship that is at the heart of the book.
Joe’s Dad is a fabulous role model for imaginative, responsive parenting. He notices a friend is laughing at Joe’s dreams and intervenes to help. A lot of fun ensues as they try all sorts of quite physically perilous ways to reach the stars, but Dad is always there to catch Joe. Amidst all the laughter when his father asks if Joe is ready to give up, it’s now Joe who exclaims, “In your dreams.” And in a wonderfully expressive addition to the original poem, we see that is how they eventually achieve their aim.
After decorating their shed with a gloriously painted night sky, they fall asleep and, in their dreams, they finally “danced among the stars.” This is a parent who knows the importance of what Yeats said in another poem “ Tread softly because you tread on my dreams” and a gentle, warm reminder to all of us not to crush imagination.
An enchanting and heart-warming story that will make you want to reach for stars.Joe wants to find a way to the stars. With the help of his dad, he builds a ladder, a tower, even a rocket to go up, up, up… Oh no! Crash, bang, wallop! What next?Together, the pair jump on pogo sticks and build sheds to paint their dreams and find a way. An uplifting and magical tale of sky-high courage, imagination and the bond between father and son that will make your heart soar. Written by internationally acclaimed author David Almond and brought to glorious life by award-winning illustrator Gill Smith in their first collaboration."For a soaring story of the loving bond between parent and child, A Way to the Stars… is sheer delight." The Guardian"Gently funny, emotionally warm, this magical story is a reminder of how important the bond between parent and child can be." Daily Mail
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An enchanting and heart-warming story that will make you want to reach for stars. Joe wants to find a way to the stars. With the help of his dad, he builds a ladder, a tower, even a rocket to go up, up, up… Oh no! Crash, bang, wallop! What next? Together, the pair jump on pogo sticks and build sheds to paint their dreams and find a way. An uplifting and magical tale of sky-high courage, imagination and the bond between father and son that will make your heart soar. Written by internationally acclaimed author David Almond and brought to glorious life by award-winning illustrator Gill Smith in their first collaboration. "For a soaring story of the loving bond between parent and child, A Way to the Stars… is sheer delight." The Guardian "Gently funny, emotionally warm, this magical story is a reminder of how important the bond between parent and child can be." Daily Mail
David Almond was our Guest Editor in September 2011 CLICK HERE to see his choices.
David Almond is the acclaimed author of many award-winning novels for children such as Skellig, Kit's Wilderness and My Name Is Min a, and has collaborated with artists Polly Dunbar, Dave McKean and Oliver Jeffers on fiction for younger readers. David's books sell all over the world, and in 2011 he was the recipient of the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award. He lives in Hexham, Northumberland.
Click here to read more information about the author .
Julia Eccleshare on David Almond:
One of the best-loved and finest writers of today, David Almond made an immediate impact with Skellig, his first book. The moving story of a boy’s discovery of a strange creature in the shed which can be interpreted in many ways introduced some to the recurrent themes of David Almond’s writing. Infused with a touch of magic or the supernatural or ‘belief’, David Almond writes sensitively about the inner complexities of growing up. Much influenced by the landscape of Tyneside where he was brought up and still lives, David Almond’s books have a strong sense of place especially in titles such as Heaven’s Eyes, The Fire-Eater and Kit’s Wilderness. Although often clearly set in some particular time, there is a timeless quality to David Almond’s stories which give them enduring appeal.
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An enchanting and heart-warming story that will make you want to reach for stars.Joe wants to find a way to the stars. With the help of his dad, he builds a ladder, a tower, even a rocket to go up, up, up… Oh no!
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed A Way to the Stars and determined it is suitable for children aged 3-6 years old
A Way to the Stars features in the following genres: Books of the Month, Recommendations, Fantasy / Magical, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Featured Books for 3+ readers, Stories about Family and Friends, Featured Books for 5+ readers
Paperback, Hardback. £7.19, down from the £7.99 cover price. In Stock.
A Way to the Stars was written by David Almond and published by Walker Books Ltd an imprint of Walker Books
A Way to the Stars has 32 pages
£7.19, reduced from £7.99. In Stock.
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