Stars of the Night
Age 7+
Picture Storybooks
The incredible true story of the rescue of 669 children from Czechoslovakia on the eve of World War II.
""When we were seven or eight or nine or ten, our home was the old city of Prague.""
So begins this powerful story of the children who were rescued from Czechoslovakia on the eve of World War II as Hitler's campaign of hatred toward Jews and political dissidents took hold. Told from the collective perspective of the children, the narrative starts in 1938 and follows them as they journey to foster families in England for the duration of the war, return to Prague afterward in an unsuccessful search for their parents, and eventually connect with Nicholas Winton, a British former stockbroker who was instrumental in bringing them to safety.
Creators
Caren Stelson is the author of A Bowl Full of Peace: A True Story and Sachiko: A Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Survivor's Story, which was longlisted for a National Book Award and received a Sibert Honor. Caren and her husband, Kim, live in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They have two adult children, Aaron and Beth, and two grandchildren, Reid and Lucy.
Selina Alko is an award-winning children's book author and illustrator who lives in Brooklyn with her two children. Her work includes B is for Brooklyn and The Case for Loving which was a Children’s Book Council’s 2016 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People.
Reviews
A not-to-be-missed, inspirational book about courage, heart, and the necessity of caring for others.
starred reviews, Kirkus Reviews
A necessary and inspirational book about a little-known light amid a dark period of history, this book should find a home in all libraries.
School Library Journal
The in-the-moment text combines with emotional acrylic, colored-pencil, and collage illustrations in Alko’s signature style to create a dreamlike atmosphere.
The Horn Book Magazine
Impressionistic acrylic, collage, and pencil art by Alko (I Is for Immigrants) is embellished throughout with sparkling stars and round yellow orbs—reminders of ‘the stars of the night and the sun of the day’ that, the children’s parents’ say, are ‘the messenger of our thoughts and love,’ as well as, perhaps, of Winton’s indomitable spirit. An afterword provides extensive historical detail.
Publisher's Weekly
