Starcrossed

August 1, 2020
Stars and wishes intertwine in this celestial friendship tale. Eridani, a human girl, loves to look up at the night sky to see and talk to her best friend, Acamar, a constellation of a boy. During the day, Eridani pores over sky maps and star plots as she works on celestial school projects. But studying the stars will never be the same as being up in the stars like Acamar. Eridani silently wishes she could trade her blood and bones for space and stars. At the same time, Acamar quietly yearns to feel his feet on the sand. The expertly paced, lyrical third-person narration creates an otherworldly atmosphere for this long-form picture book. The texts of the first and second halves of the story mirror each other, further highlighting the special connection between the friends. Illustrations are awash in textures, some splattered, some brushed, some drawn, visually expanding the ethereal world created by the text. The visual pacing of the illustrations contrasts spreads bursting with jewel-toned colors and exuberant movement with pages featuring speech-bubble dialogue spotlighted in a sea of black. As humans, the friends appear as children of color in a timeless setting; as constellations, their human silhouettes are filled in with shimmering blue, purple, and black, shot through with glittering stars. Readers will be thrilled to learn from the author's note that Acamar really is a star within the constellation Eridanus, and Denos provides some resources for those who want to learn more. Get lost in the stars in this gorgeous tale of friendship and astronomy. (Picture book. 5-10)

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August 31, 2020
Poetic text and crystalline artwork tell the story of Eridani, a starry-eyed human girl with a passion for astronomy, and her friend Acamar, an impish astral being, “more of a constellation than a boy.” Eridani excels at leading her school’s celestial projects, and she and Acamar talk nightly as Eridani heads home: “Hey, Eri, can you see me yet?” he calls. Denos (Here and Now) writes of their contrary longings—Eridani wants to fly among the stars, while Acamar wonders about life on Earth—and grants their desires as each, aiming to be with the other, makes a wish that inadvertently swaps them. But they quickly move on from regret to embrace their new circumstances: “It felt good to shimmer// ... It felt wonderful to have feet.” Denos creates artwork drenched in color, wash, and flashes of light, portraying two bold spirits thirsty for knowledge and content to give up their corporeal forms in order to learn. In omitting the backstory of their unusual friendship and ending abruptly, Denos’s tale feels like a single episode in a longer saga. Ages 6–9. Agent: Lori Kilkelly, LK Agency.

Starred review from October 1, 2020
Grades 1-3 *Starred Review* What is it like to be made of stars, and what is it like to be human? Myth and art bring us closer to the answers, and to that end, author-illustrator Denos weaves a tale of celestial friendship full of wonder and discovery. Eridani is a girl who studies the stars. Acamar is a constellation of a little boy who flies a course over Eridani's planet each night. They're best friends, but the long distance between them means they're each missing out: Acamar will never see a sunset, and Eridani will never know the joy of flying. Tragically, they each wish upon a star to be where the other is. As she transforms into stars, he transforms into a human, and they lose their chance to be truly together. But not all is lost. Eridani feels at home in the heavens among the stars she has always loved, and Acamar delights in the sensations of having a human body, like sinking one's toes into sand. They continue their friendship as before, their daily routines now swapped. Denos' illustrations are magical, immersing the reader in star-spangled deep space. The night sky and its vastness has always inspired humans and evoked wonder. Any reader who's ever felt that will recognize it again in this book.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)