Starcrossed: A Dazzling Story About Friendship Across the Stars for Children

by Julia Denos

A resonant story of two friends trying to maintain their relationship from afar with dazzling results, filled with wishes, curiosity, and bravery. From award-winning author-illustrator Julia Denos.She was made of blood and bones, and he was made of space and stars.  Back in a time when there were still students of the stars, there were two friends, Acamar and Eridani. Eridani was a star pupil studying the night skies, and Acamar . . . well, he was made of the stuff she studied. In a star-crossed twist of fate, these long-distance friends find they’ve wished themselves into unexpected new worlds. Filled with stardust and moonglow, this cosmic adventure shows us how even the most brilliant wishes can have a mind of their own—and that true friendship can endure, despite time and space.  

Genres: Picture Books, Space, Childrens, Fantasy, Friendship, Fiction, Science Fiction

64 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 7, 2020

About the author

Julia Denos earned a BFA in illustration from The Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University. She lives outside of Boston.

Reviews

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not crying, you're crying. This is so sweet.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wishing on your best friend? Oh, my heart! I immediately thought of The Gift of the Magi when I was reading this, but then the story went to another level and changed, especially with the science note at the end of the book. The illustrations are glorious.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from HMH Books for Young Readers through Edelweiss+
Beautiful illustrations capture both environment - earth and the stars. Two friends long to see each other and experience what the other does. But, one is in the stars and one is on earth. Each makes a wish and switches places. It's a joy to experience the other's life and a sadness as they still aren't together.
Denos captures the delight along with the overtones of sadness of this friendship between Eridani and Acamar. It's a bit long for a read aloud but will lead to discussion on both being content where you are along with experiencing new things. Also great to talk about how far friendships can stretch and be inclusive.

[Lauren Drake · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was first drawn to this book by the front cover and how beautifully it was illustrated, something that was continued consistently throughout the book. I also had interest in this book before reading due to my love and interest in space and stars.

This book tells the story of best friends Acamar and Eridani. Eridani is a human who studies stars at the observatory, wheres as Acamar is a constellation. They both wish to be where each other is and this ends up coming true when they trade places – Eridani becomes a constellation and is able to experience flying and Acamar becomes a human who can experience what a sunset looks like.
Some of the language used in this book may be seen as quite tricky by children and therefore I think it would likely only be suitable in UKS2.

It was nice to see that this was based on real stars and constellations in the authors note which made it educational in some way as it linked to science.

[Megan Wagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful!

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely illustrations and interesting story, but not sure if it will appeal to kids. Left me shrugging my shoulders and thinking, “But what’s the point?”

[Wylaina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible illustrations. The plot is almost like a folktale.

[Brandon Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[Ashley Ewert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful story and illustrations!

[Ashna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cosmic journey of longing, exploration, and friendship with a unique illustration style.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely, almost creepy, illustrations with a bit of science and folklore feel.

[Mandi Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is almost impossible to look at the cover of Star Crossed without picking it up. A quick peek at the illustration note immediately shows why. The mystical, dreamlike pictures are the product of combinations of watercolor, India ink, salt, graphite, pastels, and digital paint. A palette of deep blues and greens draws the reader into the borderline mythical story of two friends, one earthbound and one celestial, who wish to be together and find they have instead traded places. The author’s note at the back explains the inspiration: a true binary star system that creates a particularly bright light in the constellation Eridanus.

The text reads like a folk-tale, introducing the two main characters (both presenting as people of color) with lyrical descriptions such as “he was more of a constellation than a boy.” The illustrations complement the text with the dots and lines of constellation diagrams forming the frame and outlines of most of the images. The pages are crowded with small details in the illustrations that contain surprises for the observant reader, such as a model of Saturn hanging in a background window in the fourth opening. The overflowing illustrations mimic the subject of the night sky, with more to see and explore than we are given time to absorb. Meanwhile, the text is carefully aware of how much background the reader needs and does not provide so much that it will drag down the pace of the fairytale. For example, there is enough to infer that Eridani’s school is alternative and progressive, but the school itself is not described or explained explicitly. A youthful tone is maintained throughout the lofty and literary ideas with the use of speech bubbles containing text in a separate, more child-like font from the main narration. In all, the story is successfully otherworldly, drawing the reader into a world apart and igniting curiosity in the stars and their mysteries.

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, a unique concept. Eridani is a student of the stars. She loves looking at them. She made friends with a constellation Acamar. Acamar is good friends with Eridani. They wish they could be closer together. Eridani just knows that Acamar would love the beauty of a sunset. Acamar wishes Eridani could experience how comets tickle. Acamar’s constellation moves around as well. It’s not stationary.

One day, the pair of friends wishes on stars inside the other one. They keep their wishes secret and both of them come true.
The artwork is amazing. The stars look great in this book. Color is used well and the artwork encourages the reader to explore the universe around them. The art was done in watercolor, ink, salt , graphite, pastels and digital art. It’s very unique. I enjoy it.

I think kids who love fantasy or stories about the stars will love this.


Spoilers:




The two kids switch places and get to experience life from the other’s perspective. Not a bad little twist. I like to think they will switch back at some point.

[Serina · Rating 1 out of 5]

So I can't get on board with this book. It's beautifully and thoughtfully written. However I don't know what age is the target audience. It's definitely about two "star-crossed" lovers. Obviously there's no explicitness in the book, but they are strongly hinted at being in love. Which is fine, great even. But I don't know if I want 6 and 7 year olds going into the topic of love. Plus kids have a very strong sense of fairness and I have a feeling this trickery will not sit right with them. It's blatantly unfair and there is no resolution or justice at the end.

Basically two friends want to be with each other. One lives in the night sky and the other on earth. They wish on the stars to be with each other and poof! They get transported to where the other LIVES. Not where the other is. Where they live. (What kind of greek god mythology double cross is this??!)

It's not for me but please read it because it is beautiful

[Mathew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eridani, a human girl with stars in her eyes and Acamar, a elven-like character who sweeps through galaxies, may be light years apart physically but their friendship is attuned through the cosmos where space and time seem inconsequential. Both wish desperately to experience each other’s worlds but suffer this desire in secret until a moment comes in which their wishes are granted.

Visually stunning with rich textures and washes connecting both world sacross glorious double-page spreads, Denos’ images are complemented by her lyrical third-person narrative which finds itself interspersed with speech bubbles as both Acamar and Eridani call to each other. A final message from the author at the end will delight readers in a secret knowledge of the relationship between both children. An extraordinarily visual delight.

[Christie Kaaland · Rating 4 out of 5]

The intensity of color in the illustrations is worth the read alone. Deep indigo blues, vivid turquoise, and emerald greens are the resplendent backdrop of this fantasy-mythology-based picture book. The brief story describes two friends, Eridanus, who is a star who lives in the sky, and Acamar, a young earth-bound astrologer. From a great distance, they maintain a friendship, until one day, both realize they would love to experience the others' life. They wish simultaneously and are transported into each others lives. From there, both an earthbound boy enjoys the feel of having feet that dig in the sand Eridanus wants to see a sunset. He gets his wish. The story, as some stories based on myths do, ends abruptly with Eridanus meeting Acamar's professor and describing the night sky, but the art! Oh my, it's worth the view!

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of The Gift of the Magi and a bit The Prince and the Pauper.

We have a human who loves stars and a constellation. They're friends. They both would love to experience what the other does. They each wish to be where the other is. They end up switching places.

[Maeve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eridani is a girl who loves studying the stars...and her best friend is the constellation Acamar, who comes alive at night in the sky. They are sad that they can never be together, so they each make a wish to be with the other...so Eridani becomes a constellation and Acamar becomes a boy. They get to experience what the other lived like, and even though they are sad they cannot be together, they still enjoy the time they do have.

Absolutely stunning illustrations. I would recommend this being used for a read aloud to grades 2 or 3.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Star Crossed is a difficult book to categorize for this class. It has the feeling of traditional literature but also discusses real constellations at the end. A girl on land is friends with a male constellation and they each make a wish. Their wish is to be with the other, but the phrasing of their wish makes them switch places. It is up to the reader to decide whether they will ever switch back but we know for certain that they will each have to be in their separate spaces. The illustrations make the book. It is filled with warm hues and seemingly real sparkle.

[Melanie Gaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was gorgeous! The illustrations were out of this world (pun intended) and the story was so creative. I loved the ancient setting and strong friendship between Eridani and Acamar. Conveniently, they were totally content with switching places, possibly forever. The author's note at the end was quite interesting because I didn't know about the constellation Eridanus and its binary stars.

This book is definitely worth checking out, if only for the breathtaking illustrations.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
I love celestial lights and all things stars. I think this would be a cool read for elementary readers (especially with the back page). But I didn't think it lived up to the height of all the rave reviews. My 3yo son picked this book cuz of the cover but it was definitely too much for him. And it seemed to end in the middle - do they not actually get their wish?!? The illustrations are beautiful and the story is grabbing but I did not like the end

[stop_tolkien_and_read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this was beautiful. Initially it appeared to be a story of friendship and empathy, and then we learn it's based on a binary star system in the constellation Eridanus, which adds so much more depth and whimsy. Plus the illustrations are probably the most stunning I've ever seen in a book.

Thank you to Edelweiss+ and HMH for an ARC.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Possible contender for the Mock Caldecott Awards in January. Beautifully illustrated book about Acamar and Eridani. Acamar is a constellation and Eridani is a student of the stars. They are great friends and speak to each other all the time. One night they each make a wish with surprising results.

[AquaMoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was adorable...but kind of sad too (How the friends, even though their wishes to be where the other is are granted, can never be together. And wouldn't they eventually miss home? I mean, once the novelty has worn off?). And the artwork is beautiful!! I'm a sucker for beautiful artwork.

[Bryan Loar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sublime illustrations carry the story of two star-crossed friends. Starcrossed would pair well with Marion Dane Bauer's The Stuff of Stars. A digital advanced readers copy was reviewed.

[Alissa Tsaparikos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a stunning book. The illustrations are a starry visual feast. I adore the folk tale vibe of the story, and how the authors note ties it in to real constellations. This is an amazing book and would great for a space themed storytime. Highly recommended for all collections.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

No, it's not sad. And neither is Gift of Magi, which is actually an irrelevant comparison. It's an absolutely gorgeous work of literary science fiction for all ages. I read it as ebook but gosh I hope you can see it in paper.

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated story of the night sky and space. Kind of bittersweet, but ultimately hopeful. I loved the author’s note, and how they expressed this bit of science through the story. Truly lovely.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

For children and adults who love the night sky and stars and constellations, this is a true beauty! It is a classic constellation story of an earthbound girl and a constellation boy who make a wish on magic stars and switch places. The illustrations are beautiful and the story is really sweet.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm actually more intrigued by the back matter than the fictional story, but this is a unique approach and presentation that just might convince reluctant young readers into checking out the night sky.