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On the Night of the Shooting Star

Author Amy Hest
Illustrated by Jenni Desmond
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Hardcover
$16.99 US
9.5"W x 10.88"H x 0.34"D   | 16 oz | 30 per carton
On sale Sep 12, 2017 | 32 Pages | 978-0-7636-9154-7
Age 2-5 years | Up to Kindergarten
Reading Level: Fountas & Pinnell L
additional book photo
additional book photo
For solitary neighbors Bunny and Dog, reticence overcomes curiosity — until something extraordinary happens to nudge them into friendship.

Bunny and Dog live on opposite sides of the fence. Every morning, first thing, Bunny looks through the fence and the tall grass at Dog. And every morning, first thing, Dog looks through the fence and the tall grass at Bunny. Yet neither one says hello. Or hi. Or nice to see you today. But then, one night, Bunny and Dog both see a shooting star zip through the sky. Could this shared moment be the start of a friendship? From storyteller Amy Hest and artist Jenni Desmond comes a lyrical, touching, and timely picture book about finding the courage to say “I could be your friend.”
Hest’s spare, quiet text, with just enough well-chosen details to set the scenes and differentiate clearly between Dog and Bunny, leaves plenty of room for the illustrator’s imagination...While many stories about making friends begin with a lonely characters yearning for companionship, this picture book introduces two who are content to be alone, but find that friendship brings them great happiness. A wonderful read-aloud choice.
—Booklist (starred review)

Desmond's mixed-media illustrations juxtapose simply rendered animals, charming household details, and lovely full-bleed expanses of starry sky and moonlit lake. A gentle, empathetic tribute to the value of reaching out to welcome a new friend.
—Kirkus Reviews

Enchantingly fresh, this lighthearted tale of friendship deserves a place in every picture book collection. Pair with Beth Ferry’s Stick and Stone or Cynthia Rylant’s “Mr. Putter and Tabby” series for stories that inspire kindness and neighborliness and that value the warm comfort of finding a friend.
—School Library Journal

The appealing watercolor illustrations create a welcoming world and two lovable characters.
—Providence Journal
Amy Hest is a three-time winner of the Christopher Medal and winner of the BOSTON GLOBE-HORN BOOK Award. She lives in New York City. View titles by Amy Hest

Photos

additional book photo
additional book photo

About

For solitary neighbors Bunny and Dog, reticence overcomes curiosity — until something extraordinary happens to nudge them into friendship.

Bunny and Dog live on opposite sides of the fence. Every morning, first thing, Bunny looks through the fence and the tall grass at Dog. And every morning, first thing, Dog looks through the fence and the tall grass at Bunny. Yet neither one says hello. Or hi. Or nice to see you today. But then, one night, Bunny and Dog both see a shooting star zip through the sky. Could this shared moment be the start of a friendship? From storyteller Amy Hest and artist Jenni Desmond comes a lyrical, touching, and timely picture book about finding the courage to say “I could be your friend.”

Praise

Hest’s spare, quiet text, with just enough well-chosen details to set the scenes and differentiate clearly between Dog and Bunny, leaves plenty of room for the illustrator’s imagination...While many stories about making friends begin with a lonely characters yearning for companionship, this picture book introduces two who are content to be alone, but find that friendship brings them great happiness. A wonderful read-aloud choice.
—Booklist (starred review)

Desmond's mixed-media illustrations juxtapose simply rendered animals, charming household details, and lovely full-bleed expanses of starry sky and moonlit lake. A gentle, empathetic tribute to the value of reaching out to welcome a new friend.
—Kirkus Reviews

Enchantingly fresh, this lighthearted tale of friendship deserves a place in every picture book collection. Pair with Beth Ferry’s Stick and Stone or Cynthia Rylant’s “Mr. Putter and Tabby” series for stories that inspire kindness and neighborliness and that value the warm comfort of finding a friend.
—School Library Journal

The appealing watercolor illustrations create a welcoming world and two lovable characters.
—Providence Journal

Author

Amy Hest is a three-time winner of the Christopher Medal and winner of the BOSTON GLOBE-HORN BOOK Award. She lives in New York City. View titles by Amy Hest