A Way to the Stars

PreS-Gr 2–In this gentle picture book from Almond, a young boy dreams of finding a way to the stars. While his friends are cynical, with the support of his father—the sole caregiver presented—the persistent problem-solver pursues his dream through a range of innovative strategies, including climbing a ladder, launching a makeshift rocket, and trampolining. Experimentation and play intertwine as the father-son team joyfully and rambunctiously experiment, with success finally achieved through a method that combines construction and art. Words and images take on equal parts in conveying story and emotion. The boy and his bearded father are depicted as pale-skinned and black-haired, with faces and hair exuberantly rendered in crayonlike swooshes and scrawls. Smith’s mixed-media illustrations employ a muted color palette dominated by dark blues, grays, and sandy tones, creating a reassuring backdrop for the child’s creative exploration. Almond’s pared-back, rhythmical text adeptly enacts the musicality of everyday language, making the book perfect for reading aloud.