Where to Hide a Star

The Boy #5

by Oliver Jeffers

World-renowned artist and picture book creator Oliver Jeffers brings to life an endearing story about the magic of friendship—and sharing what brings us joy.Celebrate twenty years of The Boy in this highly anticipated new adventure from the internationally bestselling picture book creator of Lost and Found Oliver Jeffers!Once there was a boy who would often play hide-and-seek with his friends the star and the penguin. The star was always easy to find, but one day it went missing. So, the boy radioed the Martian for help, and soon found himself on an exciting spaceship rescue mission to the North Pole! But there, he discovered that he wasn’t the only one who had always dreamed of having a star as a friend . . .The out-of-this-world, long-awaited sequel to the much-loved Boy stories, loved all around the world—now introducing a brand-new character!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Friendship, Space, Aliens, Fantasy, Adventure

48 pages, Hardcover

Published October 8, 2024

About the author

Oliver Jeffers' work takes many forms. His distinctive paintings have been exhibited in galleries worldwide, and HarperCollins UK and Penguin USA publish his award-winning picture books, now translated into over 30 languages.

In 2007, Jeffers was the official illustrator for World Book Day, and in 2008 Lost and Found became Oliver's first book to made into animation by London-based Studio AKA.

Jeffers won a NY Emmy in 2010 for his collaborative work with the artist and director Mac Premo, and in 2013 Jeffers co-directed the video for U2's Ordinary Love with Premo. Originally from Belfast, Northern Ireland, Jeffers now lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.

Reviews

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is really cute. I love the penguin! And he's the one to watch here. He's in the background a lot but he's doing some interesting things. Building the penguin snowman is my favourite (plus it waves when they leave). A heartwarming ending as well.

[TheNextGenLibrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just precious, like all his books.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story about a boy and his star.

[Τριανταφυλλιά · Rating 4 out of 5]

not very good friends

[Sofia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet, moving, smart, loving.
Excellent in every thing.

[✨️ Louise Allen ✨️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Luminous Meditation on Wonder, Protection, and the Quiet Power of the Unseen

Oliver Jeffers’ Where to Hide a Star is a tender, beautifully illustrated tale that shimmers with quiet wisdom. With his characteristic blend of gentle humour and philosophical depth, Jeffers invites readers—young and old alike—into a world where the night sky becomes a canvas for imagination, longing, and the delicate art of safeguarding what is sacred.

The story follows a child’s quest to find the perfect hiding place for a star—a symbol of light, hope, and mystery. This simple premise unfolds into a profound reflection on the tension between visibility and secrecy, between sharing and sheltering. Jeffers’ prose is lyrical yet accessible, and his illustrations—soft washes of ink and colour—evoke both the intimacy of childhood and the vastness of the cosmos.

What makes this book truly special is its emotional resonance. Beneath its whimsical surface lies a quiet reverence for the unseen: the idea that some things are most beautiful when left untouched, protected from the noise and grasp of the world. It’s a gentle reminder that love sometimes means letting go, and that wonder often dwells in the spaces we choose not to fill.

Perfect for bedtime reading or solitary reflection, Where to Hide a Star is a luminous gift—a story that lingers like starlight on the skin, long after the final page is turned.
❤️✨️🐛

[Nrlhakimin · Rating 5 out of 5]

We had a beautiful bedtime reading session with this book. They have grown up with Oliver Jeffers’ works and it is always special to read his stories together.

Oliver Jeffers has returned with another charming addition to The Boy series. This time it is about a boy who loves playing hide-and-seek with his two friends, a star and a penguin. The star is always the easiest to find, but one day it suddenly disappears. Determined to bring it back, the boy reaches out to the Martian for help. His search takes him on an exciting spaceship rescue mission all the way to the North Pole.

Oliver Jeffers’ signature watercolour illustrations add warmth and love into the book making the story visually soothing and enchanting.

While children will enjoy the fun-filled adventure, adults may find themselves reflecting on its deeper wisdom. The star can symbolise love, the idea that truly caring for something means giving it the freedom and happiness it deserves rather than holding on too tightly. Sometimes, letting go is the greatest act of love.

Overall, it is a whimsical, thoughtful and beautifully told story. A must-read for all 🥰

[looneybooks79 · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://looneybooks79.blog/2025/10/18/...

Ooit was er een jongen die samen met zijn twee vrienden, een pinguin en een ster, graag verstoppertje speelt. De jongen was meestal (zoniet altijd) degene die aftelde. De ster vond ie altijd heel snel terug want een ster verstopt zich namelijk niet zo makkelijk. Nadat de pinguin ergens op zijn verstopplek vast is komen te zitten, zet hij de ster even aan de kant om de pinguin te helpen. En dan raakt hij zo de ster kwijt. Dus gaat hij op zoek en op zoek maar nergens is ster te vinden. Ergens op de Noordpool spoelt een bootje aan op het strand en een eskimomeisje kan haar geluk niet op want in het bootje ligt... ster!
Dit voorleesboek is alweer een kunstwerkje. De tekeningen van Oliver Jeffers zijn kleurrijk en heel aangenaam om naar te kijken. Het verhaal zelf is hartverwarmend en vertelt het verhaal over het verlies maar ook terugvinden van een vriend en nieuwe vrienden ontmoeten. Maar ook over het delen met elkaar en samen, ook al is er een afstand, toch er zijn voor elkaar.
Het was onlangs kinderboekenweek en om dit te vieren zijn heel wat leuke nieuwe kinderboeken verschenen, waaronder de vertaling van deze 'Waar verstop je een ster?'. De kinderboeken die ik mag lezen en recenseren van de uitgeverijen, wat ik altijd een heerlijk momentje vind om even iets anders te lezen en om even te verdwijnen uit de rush van het leven (als volwassene mag dat ook al eens), bezorg ik aan een leerkracht die op school een bibliotheek met kinderboeken heeft en daar graag geregeld nieuwe boeken aan toevoegt. Dus mijn geschenk aan de lokale lagere en kleuterschool zijn deze prachtige boeken.
Oliver Jeffers is een Britse schrijver en illustrator van kinderboeken, die eerder al over de jongen en zijn ster verhalen schreef (Mijn eigen ster, Laat me niet alleen en The way back home). Je kan zijn werk bewonderen via zijn website (zie link hieronder).
https://oliverjeffers.com/

[Rina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once there was a boy who would often play hide-and-seek with his friends the star and the penguin. The star was always easy to find, but one day it went missing. So, the boy radioed the Martian for help and soon found himself on an exciting spaceship rescue mission to the North Pole! But there, he discovered that he wasn’t the only one who had always dreamed of having a star as a friend…

Aww, where would you hide a star if you could? Not only this picture book delighted me with its colourful illustrations, it also managed to surprise me in a good way with its plot ‘twist’.

This was a nice addition to the classic Boy stories!

(Thanks to Harper Kids Australia for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review)

See my bookstagram review.

[Great Escape Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our Review...

A young boy enjoys delightful days of playing hide-and-seek with his two friends — a lovable penguin and a shimmering star.

The penguin has a favourite hiding spot that’s not well hidden, and the star struggles to find the best places to hide every game. One fateful day, when the penguin finds himself wedged between some rocks, the boy cleverly places the star in a boat as he works to free his friend. But as tides change, the boat drifts away, carrying the star toward the North Pole.

The star soon encounters another child who has always yearned for a star friend, adding a delightful twist to the tale.

This enchanting story captures the imagination and warms the heart. It beautifully conveys themes of friendship and adventure making it a perfect read for children.

Review by Kai @ Great Escape Books

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

With unique ideas and fun illustrations, Oliver Jeffers is one of my favorites. This is a cute story about a boy who plays hide-and-seek with his friends, Star and Penguin. Just like every other day, the boy does the counting while Star and Penguin hide. It was their routine: day after day, the same plan, and the same hiding spots. Penguin decides one day to hide extra well, and the game has changed.

Tending to Penguin, the boy forgot about Star until he is missing. Penguin and the boy set off to find him. Searching everywhere, they cannot find him, so the boy asks the Martian for help. The boy knows that The Martian knows more about Stars than he does. Meanwhile, we see where Star is, and I wonder how they will ever find him. Jeffers does it again with a fun entertaining story. Looking outside at night, I wonder……. 4.5 star

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

The boy, the penguin, and the star are great friends and love to play hide and seek. Usually star is super easy to find, but one day the star is extra hard to find. The boy and the penguin are worried, where could star be? Meanwhile, star has had an accidental adventure and made a new friend. When star is finally found, they must figure out how to share star as a friend.

This feels like a fable or folktale to explain the North Star or something. But it was also a clever way to tie all of the boy’s adventures together in one book. I like that he calls on the Martian to help him find the star. The penguin provides subtle comic relief with what it is doing in the background. And the solution to the dilemma is clever Martian thinking. A sweet story of friendship.

[Phillip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glorious

Oh man, what a book. Like any brilliant picture book, it’s all in those small details. And this has so much heart to go with it. Just when you’re already enjoying it, there’s such a lovely heart-bump. And it is SO charming, not missing a single part of the creative wonder we’ve come to love about Oliver Jeffers. It just makes me want to go back and read them all again, from the first to this wonderful latest instalment from the excellent studio of Jeffers. (If you haven’t already, I wholeheartedly recommend signing up to his newsletter. If you need to feel creative inspiration, it’s always a proper boost.) A hugely enjoyable read.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boy, Penguin and Star are best friends. But one day, after playing hide-and-seek, Penguin and Boy realize that Star didn't come home with them. They immediately set off on a rescue mission. They are eventually aided by an alien who flies them around in the spaceship. Meanwhile, Star has been in a boat that has floated to the North Pole and met a young girl who has been looking for a friend. When Boy, Penguin and the alien get there, neither Boy or the girl want to make the other feel bad. So Alien takes Star up to the sky and puts him in place. Boy and Girl look for Star in the night sky and are able to enjoy Star together.

Kinda esoteric but the illustrations are cute.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once there was a boy who would often play hide-and-seek with his friends the star and the penguin. The star was always easy to find, but one day it went missing. So, the boy radioed the Martian for help and soon found himself on an exciting spaceship rescue mission to the North Pole! But there, he discovered that he wasn’t the only one who had always dreamed of having a star as a friend…
.
This is an adorable book about searching for lost things, friendships and adapting to change. There’s also lessons about working together, and sharing. A really enjoyable children’s book - especially for those who enjoy hide and seek! 😉 🌟

[April M Morin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to YABC, Oliver Jeffers and Philomel for a copy of Where to Hide a Star. I don't give away spoilers in my reviews.
I did notice a note in the blurb stating this is a sequel. I haven't read the first book but I don't think a reader would need to to be able to understand Where to Hide a Star.
This book is simply and beautifully illustrated. I loved the simple colorful drawings. The story is very easy to understand and a very sweet story about friendship and sharing.
I can't wait to share it with my young cousins.

[Sarah Alamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

We're so proud of you for reading "Where to Hide a Star"!. You learned that sharing special things with others makes them even more beautiful. The story showed you that sharing stars and friendship and kindness with others makes them more precious than keeping them to yourself. The boy discovered his star needed to shine for all people so you should share your toys and big heart and your smiles with your family and friends. Your reading of this wonderful book brought light to our day while you learned that sharing good things with others makes the world brighter.

[Ellon · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars (I really liked it)

I think this is my favorite of the series. It's quiet but sweet. As other reviewers have said, it's fun to watch the penguin to see all the things he does in the background. I like how all the characters from the other books in this series make an appearance and there is a new character as well. This seems like the perfect ending for the series so I hope it is (I hate when things are milked and end up getting a bit ruined).

[Erin Buhr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This darling follow up to HOW TO CATCH A STAR, LOST AND FOUND, and THE WAY BACK HOME is about a little boy who loves to play hide and seek with the Star and the Penguin, but one day the Star goes missing. The boy and the penguin ask their Martian friend to help and they go off in search of their missing friend. A warm hearted story about friendship that is full of quiet adventure and delightful imagination.

[Morgan the Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oliver Jeffers is one of my favorites. His illustrations always have a sweet, soft way about them that pair perfectly with the mellow way that his stories are told.
Where to Hide a Star is another great addition to the series, but it works perfectly well on its own. I love watching the penguin throughout the book and I loved the colors. It was a lovely story with a great themes such as sharing and compromise, and I'll definitely share this one around.

[Dorothea Holcomb · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a sweet book about a boy, a penguin, and a little girl who ultimately share the same friendship with a star. The illustrations help to bring the words to life, although I’m not sure what the point of the story was. Friendship? Sharing? Hide and seek? I read to children and like to discuss the books with various age groups but this one is a little hard to figure out what the main idea was. So, I’m choosing several to discuss. I love Oliver Jeffers books but this one wasn’t my favorite.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The boy, the penguin, and the star play hide and seek. When the boy and the penguin can't find the star, they go on a far and wide search with some help from Martian who is good at hunting down stars. But when boy does find star, he faces a dilemma. What does he do when someone else wants star?

For a split second I thought Martian was going to just run off with star, ha! So needless to say, there was the tiniest bit of relief to see that's now how the story played out!

[Hannah Belyea · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Boy, his Penguin and their friend the Star love to play hide-and-seek, but when the Star vanishes during of their games, they and their pal the Martian search across the globe for him - only to meet a girl in the North Pole who would also like to be Star's friend...Jeffers delivers a whimsical adventure of friendship with cutesy art and charmingly oddball twists, certain to keep young ones entertained over and over.

[Kelly]

I had to flip back to the front a couple times to make sure this was really a new book. Some of it with the boy and the penguin just felt too familiar. Was that the point though? Did the author want this to just be another story about a boy and his penguin friend? But eventually you get that it is a new book, and it's a cute one. I really like how the star ends up for both of the friends.

[Nur · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is about a child who finds a star and where to hide it so that no one else can see it the child thinks of various hiding places, curiosity about the nature of stars and their beauty. The important messages in this book include the idea that some things are too beautiful to keep hidden and that sharing our discoveries can bring joy to others. Appreciation for the stars above us.

[Christie Kaaland · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet story about friendship and sharing, the second story about an anthropomorphized star tells of a little boy and his 2 friends, penguin and star, who place star in a rowboat and accidentally forget about it when they are playing. Star disappears and when the boy and his penguin go looking for their lost friend, find him in an unexpected locale.

[Jared · Rating 4 out of 5]

We really enjoyed this story. It was our morning book.

The point in the book where the Martian came out of nowhere was a fun surprise.

It was one of those books we just randomly grabbed at our local library and once we started reading, we were pleasantly surprised and entertained. The book grabbed my son's attention right away.

[Cathy Hodge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another marvelous book in the series by Oliver Jeffers. Many characters are back as the boy, the star, and the penguin have another adventure. There are hidden treasures in the illustrations that are fun to see from previous books. Our story centers on a game of "Hide-&-Seek" that take the friends on move travels to the north pole. The ending is so heartwarming ! Enjoy.

[Tweller83 · Rating 3 out of 5]

4/29/26: This one was better than Stuck for me, but I'm still unsure if Jeffers is for me or not. I think if I had read #4 before #5 it might have been better, but I still don't love these stories. This one is better but still a little too strange for me. Anyway, again, I could just be grumpy today so talk this with a grain of salt.

[Fatima Delgado · Rating 5 out of 5]

The genre of this book is picture book/childerens fiction. It may also fit into fantasy. Common topics of this book is friendship, sharing and belonging and adventure/ problem solving. The main character in this book is a young boy. Race or ethnicity in this book is no explicity stated and neither is socionomic status. No diabilities are indicated.