Stella, Princess of the Sky [Hardcover]

Kindergarten-Grade 2–With charm and whimsy, Stella and Sam are back, this time spending an evening outside watching daylight fade into dusk, then night. Sam is the quintessential preschooler–full of wondrous questions. Big sister Stella is the authority on their domain, effectively answering him and calming his fears. " 'Why is [the sky] so red?' asked Sam. 'Can't you see? It's wearing red pajamas.'" She points out a family of raccoons. " 'Why are they wearing masks?' asked Sam. 'Are they robbers?' 'No, they're going to a costume party,' said Stella." The detailed illustrations effectively capture the deep blues, blacks, and grays of night, while also illuminating the siblings with pale azures, sage greens, and soft lavenders. This is a quiet star of a story that works well either as a group read-aloud or as a bedtime treasure to share one-on-one.–Lisa Gangemi Kropp, Middle Country Public Library, Centereach, NY
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PreS. Flame-haired Stella returns with more fanciful explanations for her inquisitive younger brother, Sam. This time, Sam is puzzled by the night sky, and Stella answers his questions with her familiar whimsy. "Can the moon fly?" asks Sam. "It floats in the air like a balloon," Stella answers. Preschoolers may chortle over Sam's naivete, but they'll definitely appreciate his honest struggle to grasp cosmic subjects, as in his reply to Stella's balloon comparison: "Who's holding the string?" Gay won Canada's Governor General Award for her illustrations in Stella, Star of the Sea (1999), and here, her joyful, airy watercolors, dabbed with bits of collage and opaque paint, are just as fine as they show the siblings side by side under a sky of shifting stars. Pair this with Charlotte Zolotow's Do You Know What I'll Do? (2000) for another elegantly simple, sweet view of a protective older sister and younger brother who play and wonder together. Gillian Engberg
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Detailed illustrations capture the blues and grays of dusk and night, while the children are portrayed in brighter colors. (Book Links 20041001)

...the whimsical illustrations are gorgeously animated and colourful, and Stella and Sam's charming stream-of-consciousness chat strikes a buoyant note...Pure delight. (Quill & Quire 20041001)

Gay has once again perfectly captured the distinct wonder of childhood... (Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 20041001)

This is a quiet star of a story that works well either as a group read-aloud or as a bedtime treasure to share one-on-one. (School Library Journal 20050401)

Just like her text, Gay's illustrations are fun as well as poignant. (Resource Links 20050101)

Stella, Princess of the Sky is exactly what a picture book should be — a perfect blend of picture and text that will have both parent and child entranced. (Today's Parent )

Marie-Louise Gay's watercolor illustrations are accomplished, visually soothing, and convey the endearing ethereality of small children. (Books in Canada )

Another adventure begins in this book in the Stella and Sam series as the pair explores the wonders of the natural world. A vast luminous sky, the sun, the stars and the rising moon form the backdrop for their nocturnal expedition. As they encounter raccoons, fireflies, tree frogs and bats, Sam wonders if the moon can swim, if the sun wears pajamas or if he can catch shooting stars with his butterfly net. Stella, as always, has an answer for every question.

Marie-Louise Gay's whimsical prose and enchanting illustrations capture the joys of young children making their first discoveries of the world around them.

(20041001)

Marie-Louise Gay is a world-renowned author and illustrator of children's books. She has won many prestigious awards, including the Governor General's Award, the Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award, the Vicky Metcalf Award and the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award. She has also been nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award and the Hans Christian Andersen Award. Her books have been translated into more than fifteen languages and are loved by children all over the world. She lives in Montreal, Quebec.