A Bed of Stars

PreS-Gr 2–A child has a fear of going to sleep. “It used to be, when it was time for bed, I would imagine the whole universe stretching on endlessly, forever. The bigger it got, the smaller I felt. I was too worried to fall asleep.” The parents have a plan to help this child face those fears, an overnight camping trip in the desert. The child and father are going “to shake hands with the universe.” On the way, they explore the flora and fauna of the desert, as well as the sunset, and eventually the stars. Through this series of small events, the child comes to realize that the stars and all the nature are made of the same energy, and finds comfort in sleeping in the truck bed with Dad nearby and a sea of stars that now have names. At home, the mother has stuck glow-in-the-dark stars all over the child's space so that now there is “the whole universe in my little bedroom.” Love’s illustrations, done in watercolor, gouache, and ink, capture the beauty of the desert as well as the love between parent and child.