Natalie and the Night Sky

by Carolyn Dibb, Reiji Okamoto (Illustrator)

Overview

The best summer of Natalie’s life starts to feel a bit lonely as she spends time around her best friend’s family. For the first time, Natalie questions what it is like to have a brother or sister. As an only child to two devoted parents, she will never know.

Join Natalie as she travels from loneliness to connection and discovers sometimes the best things in life are the people you collect into your family as you grow.

“A sweet, sensitive, and inspiring story written with love. I am certain this beautiful book will make each child (or adult) feel better about themselves and be more aware of the loving connections in this world and beyond.” –Jeanine Crombe, EFT Authority and Trainer www.EFTforlife.com

“Natalie and the Night Sky is an excellent resource to have in any preschool or elementary school library. Any child experiencing angst over their place in their family or even what constitutes the word “family” would enjoy reading this book.” –Maureen Khallad, Director of the Think Sun Preschool Academy

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781504326902
Publisher:	Balboa Press
Publication date:	03/13/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	42
File size:	5 MB
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

Editorial Reviews

2015-09-11
A heartwarming, insightful debut children's book about an only child who wonders what it would be like to have a bigger family. Natalie and her best friend, Shayla, are having the best summer. Both girls and their families are on a big camping trip, which means fishing, bonfires, s'mores, and everything else that the great outdoors has to offer. Sitting around the campfire, Natalie sees Shayla and her older brother, Steven, share a private giggle, and Natalie feels a twinge deep inside. As an only child, she wonders what it would be like to have a brother or sister. Shayla helps her weigh the pros and cons before retreating back to her family's tent to play cards with Steven. As Natalie longingly looks at Shayla's tent, Natalie's dad sees her wistful expression. Using the night sky and the stars as a map, Natalie's dad shows her how a family may not just be people who share a home—the stars that dance around their home constellation are special, too. Dibb's book is a wonderful addition to any household with an only child. As Dibb says in her preface, parents may have many reasons for having only one child, and instead of having to explain those myriad and possibly complicated reasons to a child, this book directly addresses the child's sense of longing. The prose is easy to understand (for little readers) without being dumbed down or overly clinical. Parents can inject their own personal stories after a reading. McAllister's simple illustrations, in muted, pastel colors, enhance the tale. Ideal for only children and their perfectly sized families.

Kirkus Reviews