Shine!

by Patrick McDonnell, Naoko Stoop (Artist)

Hoshi the sea star looks up in the sky and sees the stars shining. She wishes that she too could be in the sky amongst the brilliant stars--and as she imagines how much better it would be up in the air, she fails to appreciate the beautiful world that surrounds her underwater. It takes Hoshi's friends, old and new, to help her realize that her shine comes from within.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Storytime, Animals, Fiction, Emotion, Inspirational

40 pages, Hardcover

First published April 25, 2017

About the author

Patrick McDonnell’s comic strip, MUTTS, is celebrating its 30th anniversary, having appeared in over 700 newspapers across 20 countries. MUTTS has received numerous awards for its artistry and its animal and environmental themes. These include the NCS Reuben for Cartoonist of the Year, seven Harveys and the Eisner Humanitarian Award. Charles Schulz called MUTTS “One of the best comics strips of all time.”

BREAKING THE CHAIN: THE GUARD DOG STORY, a collection of his newsworthy story centered freeing MUTTS chained dog, Guard Dog, will be published in fall 2024.
McDonnell’s latest book is THE SUPER HERO’S JOURNEY, a graphic novel love letter to Marvel Comics and Jack Kirby. It was on 11 ‘best of’ lists for 2023.

THE ART OF NOTHING, an oeuvre of McDonnell’s work, comprehensively celebrates Patrick’s comic strip career. McDonnell is also the author of New York Times bestselling picture books, including THE GIFT OF NOTHING and the Caldecott Honor winning ME...JANE (a childhood biography of Dr. Jane Goodall). Both have been adapted as musicals for the Kennedy Center stage. In addition, he has collaborated with spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle on GUARDIANS OF BEING and with poet Daniel Ladinsky on DARLING I LOVE YOU. HEART TO HEART: A CONVERSATION ON LOVE AND HOPE FOR OUR PRECIOUS PLANET is a collaboration with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. His Holiness has said “It is my hope that this book will open the eyes, minds and hearts of all people.”

In 2021, Ohio State University hosted Side Effects, a major exhibition of his large scale canvases. There will be a year-long retrospective of McDonnell’s comic strips, book illustrations and paintings at the San Diego Comic-Con Museum opening in January 2025.

McDonnell was a member of the Board of Directors of The Humane Society of the United States for 18 years as well as The Fund for Animals, and continues to serve as a director for The Charles M. Schulz Museum and D&R Greenway Land Trust.

You can sign up for the MUTTS daily email at mutts.com.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hoshi the starfish laments her fate being stuck in the ocean, wishing she were a celestial star in the sky, rather than a lowly marine creature. She complains to all of her friends, blind to the wonder of the watery world around her. It is only when she falls to a deeper and darker region of the ocean, and meets a glowing anglerfish, that she learns that she must look within for happiness...

Although Patrick McDonnell's narrative here is somewhat more on the overtly didactic side of things than I usually care for, I found Shine! an engaging little book all the same. The lesson the author seeks to impart, that sometimes we can overlook the blessings that surround us, in yearning for some far-off ideal, will be relevant to many readers, both young and old. As for the artwork, done by Naoko Stoop, whose Red Knit Cap Girl picture-books are so lovely, it is just beautiful. I love the fact that she uses found wood as a canvas, as this usually gives her paintings an interesting textured look. I also love her color palette here, and her use of light and shade. Recommended to fellow Stoop fans, and to anyone looking for children's stories that address the theme of appreciating what you have, and looking for happiness within.

[Ash · Rating 3 out of 5]

***All questions answered by my 4 year old***

What's your favorite part of the book?
Nothin, I didn't really like that book.

What do you think of the cover?
I don't like stars..

Do you want me to read it again?
No, not ever.

What Momma Thinks...
Finn didn't really care for this book, it doesn't have a lot of bright colors, and I think it might be a little slow and over his head, for a kiddo his age. Momma, however, really enjoyed this book. The colors and the art are beautiful. The story is really great, I love how it teaches them to be happy no matter where they are, and how amazing and beautiful everything is around them. It teaches them to look inside to be happy, and to be happy with who you are, not sad because of who you aren't.

[Hannah Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely in love with this book. There are no words. I️t is about a star fish who looks up every night and sees the beautiful shining stars. He wonders why he does not shine, and he makes a journey to figure out how. While on the journey, he talks about how beautiful it will be when he gets out of the ocean, but he is blinded to all of the beauty already around him. In the end, he learns what he is missing and shines in the ocean. As a future teacher, I️ can’t wait to use this book to teach that what is ordinary to us is beautiful to others. Maybe the stars that shine look down at the starfish and want to be like him, around all kinds of different creatures. Before we seek happiness somewhere else, we need to look around us and see what we are missing out on.

[Lorellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

About being grateful for what you have. Really nice art. Perfect for the mutual Octonauts phase Tot and I are having.

[Tranylle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great reminder that the grass isn’t greener on the other side. All we need to do is notice the beauty, love, and friendship all around us.

[Josie Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book did shine even though it is a little direct in the message. The language is beautiful as are the pictures. I think young readers will chime in and realize the greatness Little Hoshi is surrounded with under the sea!

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am struggling with this picture book. On the one hand, yes, the message of "cultivating happiness where you are" is an important one.

But...little Hoshi really loves the stars. Shouldn't she culture happiness where she is but not give up on her dreams of reaching the stars? Or is there no space program for starfish?

Seriously, I talked to my 7 year old after reading this, to see if the book also left him feeling a bit off, and we both agreed that it is important to both.

The illustrations by Naoko Stoop are beautiful.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely story about a starfish who realizes that grass might actually be green enough right where she is (forgive the over-extended metaphor). This is a charming story about dreaming big and being content with what you have. I'm surprised McDonnell didn't illustrate this book himself but can hardly complain when Stoop's artwork is so vibrant and lovely.

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

**Interesting Fact: Hoshi, the name of this sea star, unoriginally translate into Star**

I'm not sure what is going on where I can hear all kinds of music lately in the books that I have been reading but this one has been seriously giving me Disney's animated classic Little Mermaid vibes.

Anyway Shine! is is very short and brief in its telling yet unfortunately very repetitive as the star will point out something amazing about the heavens while the author repeats that Hoshi ignores the same descriptive words of the creatures and world around her. This altogether makes it feel rather like the author also doesn't believe the reader will read the same message and put it together for what is occurring on the page at the same time as you are reading it.

Furthermore the nonscientific fact about all the deep sea creatures all being totally happy with their lives and thus are able to shine is a bit bogus on the side. Fortunately most young children won't think otherwise of this message at least not upon the first few reads or until they actually explore why deep sea creatures have photo-luminescence.

To me the best part about the book is the artwork, especially the backgrounds as they show wood grains, which do a wonderful job of adding some texture to the illustrations. Otherwise the colors are bright except when Hoshi is feeling in a funk and the little star also seems a bit clownish at times. And what is that creature in the funk picture that looks like an acanthostega or some other tetrapod returned from the time when fish started to walk on land for the first time?

The book altogether has a great message if you can overlook the parts that may drive you crazy but I truly don't see it as being a full classic in the long run.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes even sea stars don't realize how wonderful they and their surroundings are, and it can be hard for them to shine. In this particular situation, Hoshi wonders what life might be like if she were a star twinkling in the night sky. Sadly, as often happens for those who think the grass is greener on the other side of the road, she cannot see the beauty around her because she wants something else. Nothing seems to soothe her until she chances upon an anglerfish, arguably one of the ugliest sea creatures around, but it somehow manages to shine on, even in the ocean's depths. As Hoshi learns, happiness comes from within, and if we look within for reasons to enjoy life, then we too can shine. The eye-catching and glow-filled illustrations were created in acrylic, pencil, pastel, ink, and then finished digitally. This book would be a great read aloud meant to encourage listeners to be resilient and not become mired in misery over wanting something else. Wishing never makes it so.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a about little sea star Hoshi, who is unhappy and just wants to shine like the stars above. Until she learns that the world around her isn't as bad as she thought, and the key to shining is happiness. I think this story is bey metaphorical to life and finding happiness within yourself and the world around you.
This seems like an odd thing but the pages of the book were really nice paper and the art was beautiful! And metaphorical too!
This could help teach growth mindset?

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Oh, poor little me ... a star stuck in the sea."

Hoshi longs to be a star up in the sky, not one in the sea. In the sky, she knows that she could shine. "Down here, nothing is fine. Down here, I'll never shine." She's so depressed that she sinks all the way to the deep, dark depths of the ocean. This is where she meets the anglerfish ... who always shines because he's happy right where he is. And when he's happy, he shines.

A strong message.

[Bmack · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story about a star fish who isn't content to be where she lives and wants to live up in space with the stars. She doesn't know how to shine until she meets a fish in the yucky part of the ocean who teaches her how to shine by being happy no matter where he is. Nice illustrations and story.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tiny seastar gazes at stars in the sky and wonders why it cannot be up there instead of in the ocean. As it wanders all over the ocean, he begins to see that it is a wonderful place to be, too. The book will start a great conversation about finding that “there’s no place like home”. McDonnell brief words are illuminated by Naoko Stoop’s lovely ocean-y illustrations.

[coffee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up for a similar reason that I did for Why Am I Blue. It just had the feel that it would be about being yourself and to an extent it did, but it was also really different. Here we have Little Hoshi who wishes to be a star in the sky so that she could shine brightly, ignoring everything fascinating around her. It gets to the point that all she does is want want and want, and then she falls into despair. I feel like this is relatable in that people tend to always want for more and don’t appreciate what they have until it’s pointed out to them. In this case, that’s what happens with Little Hoshi

I did think it was a good read but so far this is the one that I’ve liked the least out of all the recent kids books I picked up (and I don't even know why)

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really liked the illustrations. It's didactic and saccharine and therefore definitely not my cup of tea, but I can see how this would be enjoyed by or useful for families who want their kids to appreciate what they have.

[Kevin Hull · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple, mostly well done life lesson for kids focusing on a Starfish who can't see the forest for the trees. Teases at but abandons a dark ending that would made it a masterwork, at least in my humble opinion.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aw. This is a heartwarming story of a little starfish who is sure life would be better if she didn't live in the ocean, but lived in the sky. She'd be near all the other stars and would shine brightly. She learns by the end of the book, that she can shine anywhere.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far, my stack of book have all be pretty good! This book makes the 4 star group which is a rare group for me ! It has a great message. Great pictures, just SHINE! where you are!! Thank for the lesson Hoshi the sea star!

[Villain E · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story about finding happiness inside yourself and how attitude shapes expectations. A sea star looks at the stars in the sky and thinks everything must be better there, ignoring the wonder around her.

Where my life's at, I need this book right now.

[Nancy Bandusky · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated book about a sea star, Hoshi, learning to be happy about where she is and to shine. I really enjoyed the repetition of the things Hoshi "desired" while she was unknowingly actually experiencing what she "desired."

[Audrey | WellReadandUndead(ish) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great story to show children how you can and should appreciate the wonders you have around you. It was a little on the nose by the end, but probably a great way to reinforce the message to young children. We can all learn a little from Hoshi.

[Brownd2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

for anyone who has been waaaay down to the murky bottom...here's hoping we all find out how to "shine"!

[Brenda Kahn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Setting aside the fact that angler-fish use their light to lure prey and not as a reflection of their happiness and contentment, this beautifully illustrated parable has its heart in the right place.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those who tend to wish for something different than what they have.

[Michele Knott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teachers of primary grades, this would be a perfect book for central message.
Good message for look for the good around you, be your own happiness.

[Clarissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beautiful art, a story with a message, that hits you over the head.

[Lisa D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it!!another classic by this author!!

[Jess Verzello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful art and story. A wonderful message of being grateful and finding happiness from within.

[MaryLibrarianOH · Rating 4 out of 5]

The grass isn't always greener on the other side. A book about a starfish who learns to be content with her life in the sea instead of wishing to be a star in the sky.