My Pet Star

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Welcome to my latest blog post. This piece is part of a blog tour for a brilliant picture book My Pet Star . Thank you to Hachette publishers for inviting me along.

When a young girl finds a star under a tree, she knows it does not belong there. So she takes him home to look after, her own pet star. As the star regains its health and sparkle, it will soon be ready to return to the sky and the girl will eventually have to let go… At the beginning of the story we meet a young girl who finds something unusual on the ground. This is no sweet wrapper or loose change but something has fallen high from the sky, a star! The star we meet is grubby and dirty but that doesn’t put the girl off and she decides to take it home. It’s time to get your cookie cutters ready! Cut out your shapes from the rolled-out dough. Then carefully lift them from the surface using a spatula and place them on the baking tray. As well as the story representing how well you should look after any pet, there are teaching points about the star too including how it enjoys sleeping all day as it’s time to shine is the night sky. The young girl is such a sweet diverse character and I think many readers will admire her kindness and love for her temporary pet, star. Sadly she does have to say goodbye to the star and this is such a touching moment in the story. The story gently shares that sometimes we do need to let go but the young girl does so in knowing that she looked after the star so well.If it’s a clear night, you could take a look at the night sky and ask your little one if they think they can see Pet Star? If you can, wave hello to him! Make a table that shows things that are alive, were alive or have never been alive. You could use this resource to help. The more you do it, the better it will feel and your child is most certainly not a critic, they love the sound of your voice. Find out about the history of books. When were they first made? How has the production process changed? Full of warmth and heart, this read shines as brightly as the star which heals. A beautiful bedtime story that will have readers dreaming of their own pet star.

If you can, sneak a little look at it first without your child so you can familiarise yourself with the story and rhythm. I dedicated this book ‘To all the carers, big and small.’ And would like to add now - our most heartfelt thanks.

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We’ve had lots of fun in workshops making our own little Pet Stars – caring for them and making beds for them to sleep in with little fabric scraps. Illustrator Rosalind Beardshaw has also designed some fabulous drawing guides to help you draw one. A star has fallen from the night sky and – bump! – landed underneath a tree, where a kind and caring small person finds him. Concerned about his lost glow, she takes him home, cleans him up and introduces him to her world and the things she loves, from books and hugs to ice cream in the park.

We're giving copies of My Pet Star by Corrinne Averiss and Rosalind Beardshaw to families across the country through food banks, refuges and more - and we want you to join in the fun of the book! Met humor, liefde en vertedering wordt in dit boekje het verhaal verteld van een klein meisje dat een gevallen ster mee naar huis neemt, ze opkalefatert en ze daarna ook weer laat gaan. Zoals de achterflap het treffend zegt: “Een aandoenlijk verhaal over vriendschap en loslaten.” If you have any leftover tissue paper or ribbon lying around the house, you can turn your crafts into shooting stars by gluing thin trails to the bottom of your creations. But for some parents, reading aloud causes a crisis of confidence. It might be fears about stumbling over the words or hearing your voice. We might avoid it all together or race through at such a speed just to get it over and done with. The expert advice is simple – fight your inner critic and do it anyway! Although it certainly wasn’t known at the time of its selection – My Pet Star's themes of illness, kindness, nurture and getting well (or letting go) are incredibly relevant to what we’re all experiencing. I hope it helps you to talk about these things in a positive context.Rhyming text and gentle storytelling help make this the perfect book for bedtime or snuggling up with; it feels like a really special story and is a joy to read. Colour in your characters with paints or pencils. You could even add glitter, ribbons or pom poms if you like!