کجا با این عجله

by Peter H. Reynolds, محبوبه نجف‌خانی (translator)

Includes a note from the author

It is often said that life is a journey, and it’s true. But sometimes it’s hard to know which path to follow when signs point in so many directions. In this beautifully illustrated book, Peter H. Reynolds once again encourages readers to observe, to wonder, and to consider diverging from the well-worn path — to pursue their dreams. Originally published more than ten years ago, THE NORTH STAR has had a profound effect on its many readers. This edition, featuring all new art, celebrates the book’s own voyage connecting people around the world. It has inspired classroom activities, a musical, and countless thoughtful journeys.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Juvenile, Fantasy, Young Adult, Inspirational

66 pages

First published December 15, 1997

About the author

Peter Hamilton Reynolds is an author and illustrator of children's books and is the co-Founder and CEO of educational media company FableVision.

Reviews

[Rana Heshmati · Rating 5 out of 5]

قلبم براش واقعا. چقدر خوب بود آخه. چقدر فوق العاده :((

[Leila · Rating 5 out of 5]

هرکس سفری متفاوت، نشانه های متفاوت، توانمندی های متفاوت و ستاره هایی متفاوت داره.

۰۳/۲/۲۴

[Virginia · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books of all time! While written as a children's book, this work speaks to readers of all ages about the importance of following our dreams and identifying our own path. I am an educator,and I read The North Star to every class of children, youth, or adults that I teach. Peter Reynolds has a poetic way with words, and his watercolor illustrations are beautiful. This book is not to be missed!

[T Crockett · Rating 2 out of 5]

This along with "Ish" and "The Dot" are all books with a message, but somehow this is the only one where it annoyed me. I think in this book the message of finding your own north star didn't come as any sort of surprise, so it felt like a parable (never did enjoy those). In the other two books there are unexpected twists and turns which make the reading fun and the message a secondary part. In "North Star" I felt like I was being taught a lesson.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good message about how just because there is a path in front of you, it doesn’t mean it’s your path. Trust yourself enough to ask where you want to be heading, and go that way.

[Zahra Changiz · Rating 4 out of 5]

این کتاب رو در کافه چنار مجاور خوندم:)

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very difficult book to review, and yet it also demands that I write one, if only to prevent this jewel of a child-sized work of philosophical poetry from sliding into the abyss of picture books I have and will have read. Because this one is special. The boy who is its protagonist has no name, nor any particular real-world setting. Instead, he has a series of places and characters he encounters and interacts with as he tries to discover where he is going and why, where he would like to be and how to get there. The illustrations are vaguely cartoonish, but nevertheless convey, often taking up only a small portion of the white page, the contours of the atmosphere of each step of the boy's journey. He could be anyone of any age. In that sense this is not strictly a children's book, for all its clear, simple language and shapes. The emotional import of the boy's ponderings could not pack a more powerful punch with the most complex of language and the most photorealistic detail: on one page I almost started crying, as the boy stands in a swamp studded with rangy trees and reflects that he does not know where he is going, but he must be lost because he does not want to be where he is. The stark yet gently muddy tones of the image, in contrast the bright clean white and pastels of the boy, are almost heartbreaking. It is impossible not to be the boy in the illustration, and this is the genius of the book: the boy has no name, no identity, no home. He is everyone and no one. He is a cartoon outline, like we all are, trying to find his place, the picture where he belongs, and to fill himself with understanding.

[Kelvino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading kids book in toys r us lol. It’s so cuteeeeee, it’s a story about following and discovering your own path, to not follow one just because other people have taken it. Only one discovered by yourself will have meaning to you.

- I’d hate for you to be late, you don’t want to be left behind (toxic annoying cat)
- behind? Who’s ahead of me? (young kid)
-you wouldn’t believe how many! You know you’re not the only one on this journey. Plenty ahead of you, lots to follow. (Toxic annoying cat 🤬)

Id buy it but it was 24$ for a 3 minute read lol

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an emotion provoking book. It speaks abstractly of life's journey and how some of the path is hard and others easy and how a dream or a star guides our path. Awesome book, everyone should have this book.

[Lokum Çocuk Kutuphanesi]

Bana gereksiz uzatılmış geldi.
Alice göndermesinin peşinde savrulmuş biraz.
Nokta ve Mış Gibi kitaplarındaki öz ve duyguyu bulamadım.

[Zahra tavakoli · Rating 3 out of 5]

کتابی دربارهٔ زندگی، دربارهٔ اینکه هر کسی در زندگی مسیری مخصوص به خودش را باید طی کند تا به اهداف و رویاهایش برسد. به نظرم مناسب بالای ده سال است و خیلی قابلیت گفتگو دارد.

[Anahita Solot · Rating 5 out of 5]

چرا انقدر عجله داریم؟

[Carol Royce Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this and was wishing I had some nieces or nephews graduating this year, because this would be a perfect gift. The story is a reminder that despite others' attempts to pull us in various directions we need to determine what our North Star is and keep our eyes on the mark. Only then will we be happy and content.

[babyhippoface · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a picture book, but it seems to be more for adults than kids. Ordinarily I love Reynolds, but this was too schmaltzy for me. I kept thinking it wants to be the next "book to buy for graduates when you don't want to give them money".

[Jackie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A cute book, but it seems to be trying too hard to be inspirational. The message (follow your own path) is a good one, and the illustrations are cute, but the story falls flat without reading it at an adult level.

[Fatima Seraj Alam · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t think little kids would understand the message of finding your own path. So my three year old was lost in the pictures of rabbit and cat in the story and I was reading page upon page wondering why Mr Reynolds did not hire an editor who could have edited a couple of pages off the book.

[Alyson (Kid Lit Frenzy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really needed to be reminded that it is important to follow your own path and not the one others want you to be on. Fun story.

[Janae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great beginning of the year discussion. What is your plan for this school year and how will you get there?

[Sonja H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, just discovered this book, definitely going to purchase. "Ask yourself where it is you want to go, and then follow the signs you already know."

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

An earlier Reynolds book. Readers can see how much has honed his craft since writing The North Star. I love the premise of this book - follow your own path, but it's a bit heavy at times.

[Eileen Dominguez · Rating 2 out of 5]

We all know everyone has a future waiting for them, sometimes the hardest part is trusting yourself enough to pursue your future. A young boy begins his journey to discover where he wants to go in life. As time as passed, he finds different paths and he receive many advice from other people about which direction he should follow. However, he figures out that following everyone else's path does not always lead to his choosing. I like this book because it reminds me that it is okay to make mistakes, restart, and do it all over again. The major themes in the book were individuality and following your dreams. First, individuality was shown when the main character found out he does not need to follow the same path as everybody else. Secondly, following your dreams is another crucial theme since the boy learns how to trust himself and choose his own path instead of listening to everyone else. The main genre of this book is fantasy and science fiction. Through reading this book, I learned that everyone has their own goals and it is important to take the time in believing anything is possible when you set your mind to it. Another thing I learned is making mistakes can make you into a stronger person. This book was a WOW book for me because this message could be directed towards adults and children. I think both parties need to learn to follow their own path and to not feel pressured to do thinks you might not like.

The author used multiple literary devices and other forms of writing craft in this book. First, the author used metaphor and symbolism. The North Star shows the boy's personal goals, dreams, and the way he wants to live life, while the paths represent the choice other have made. This writing technique enhanced the quality of the book because it can help readers to understand an important life less through simple ideas that kids can understand. Second, the author used illustrations and visual storytelling to help the audience understand the boy's journey. One example, is how the illustrations show the boy traveling along different paths, encountering obstacles and he looks up and uses the starts for guidance. The drawings can help readers understand the boy's feelings and how he progressed throughout the book. This writing technique makes the book more engaging and it allows reader to feel connected to the book. I would consider this book to be an anti-bias book since it encourages individuality and respects the fact that everyone has their own path to take no matter how long that might take.

[Tanya Srivastava · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very beautiful book about journey of individual with clean illustrations. A hidden moral to tell you not to follow others but diverge and follow your own dream!!

A sweet breeze met the boy as he awoke to his journey. One day he had the urge to stand and to walk which made his journey easier. Boy saw a rabbit but he didn't reply to boy and disappeared in a path the boy had never noticed before. Boy wandered toward the path and there he saw a cat. Boy asked about rabbit and cat replied he as in rush to start his journey. Cat told boy that there are many ahead of him and many to follow. The boy began walking down the path. Signs kept pointing him and some parts of the journey were easy and some difficult. He was following well-worn path but he started feeling as if he was lost.

He stepped off the path to follow it. His thoughts were interrupted by a cat's voice who insisted him not to wander and asked him to hurry. And boy started running. Then he saw a bird who asked him if you are lost. He said he's not sure and hadn't thought about it. And he said he followed the path and many people have taken this path. Even a cat guided him back when he was wandering. But the bird again asked to him, "but where do you want to be going?" He looked around and replied he isn't sure. The bird said' "ask yourself where it is you want to go, and then follow the signs you already know." Before he could ask anything bird flew off and boy looked into the sky. In the cloud he saw a bright star. He could hear the star and voice sounded so familiar. Boy began to walk towards the star when a frog asked him what's he looking. He replied he is looking at stars but the frog couldn't see any. Boy asked him if he wants to come with him then frog replied no. He said he grew up here and here he wants to stay. Then boy realised at that moment that everyone has different journey, different stars and different signs. Boy saw the same rabbit who was in hurry earlier stranded on a limb in the middle of the rushing river. He saw an oak leaf drift by and it gave him an idea and he rescued the rabbit. The boy looked up and star had become even brighter. The star glowed steadily, reminding him that he still had a long journey. But his own wonderful journey.

The storyline is motivating and gives us a lesson not to follow herd but follow our heart and chase our dream. This book is going to be cherished for long to make her realise to take a leap of faith and fly to chase her dreams.

[Payton Spainhour · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fictional picture book is about a young boy on a journey. The beautiful illustrations take you through his infancy and first few years, and as the reader we get to watch him grow. One day, he sees a cat who tells him that he needs to start his journey so he isn't left behind. The cat points him on a well-worn path, but the boy realizes he doesn't like this path. He comes across a frog who tells him that he needs to follow his own path, and the North Star leads him on his own wonderful journey.

I loved everything about this book. The illustrations were beautiful, and the story was a fun read but also had a great meaning. I love the message that this book sends to children, but that it can also be a fun book to read.

I will use this in my classroom to read to my class or just to let the children read, because I think it has a wonderful message. It would be a great book to read for a group.

[Colleen Roussel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peter Reynolds brings encouragement again to readers in this story. Beautiful illustrations in ink and watercolors bring the reader on a journey with a little boy who is trying to find the right path for his life. The story begins when the boy was just a little baby and as he began to grow he started on his own path in life. Sometimes his path was easy to travel and sometimes it was really difficult. He met a bunny, a cat, and a bird along his way, but their path was not his own. The little boy had to find his own way and take his own journey guided by his own star. When he followed his own path, he could feel it in his heart. I love the message in this story and it is not only encouraging for children but adults too. Although sometimes we wander off our path it is important to follow our dreams. This is a great book to encourage children to always dream.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peter Reynolds just has a wonderful way of saying things to make you think. It is so true that at first most of us tend to follow the path we believe we are supposed to follow. But if we're more centered in ourselves or we have a great friend or guide to listen to our thinking and feelings, sometimes we are able to see the path that was so obviously there before but we missed it. If we're really lucky we learn this earlier rather than later but even following our own path for a short tie is better than never following it at all. I hope as a teacher I am able to help/inspire at least one person to follow their "North Star" and be true to themselves.

[Brenda A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was in a car on my way to work when I had one of those movie moments where someone looks out the window with misty eyes, contemplating all their life decisions.
I had to sit down with my feelings afterward, just to process why this book impacted me so deeply, so quickly. It brought back happy, grateful memories, but also sadness for the things I could have done better for my younger self.
That is the power of literature and art.
Automatic favorite for life.

P.S. I know it’s common to gift Oh, the Places You'll Go! for graduations, and it’s a classic for a reason, but let me place this book in your path too. You’ll see why.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The allegory in this children’s story is a lesson for both the old, and the young. I will eventually need to own this book. It’s beautiful.

I do have to say it’s odd that a cat, an independent creature, encouraged the child to follow a path that’s not his own.

[Mari Tovmasyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book carries a lot of sentimental value for me. My 6th grade teacher read it to the class. I felt bad about a solo performance that I thought I messed up on. And my teacher assued me I did just fine and gave me a signed copy of the book.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book carries a lot of sentimental value for me. My 6th grade teacher read it to the class. I felt bad about a solo performance that I thought I messed up on. And my teacher assued me I did just fine and gave me a signed copy of the book.

[Charlotte S · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the sweetest book about following your dreams! Join a little boy on his journey, through both ups and downs.

This book is so beautiful, just like all of Peter H. Reynolds' other books! The message is wonderful and very inspirational!
The North Star would make a great gift!
The illustrations are gorgeous and fit the story perfectly!
I LOVE the end of the book! Instead of "The End,' it says 'The Beginning" I thought that was such a beautiful detail 💗
That review was all over the place, but I assure you that this book isn't. It's super clear for littles to understand, even with the big message of following your dreams.

I hope you love this book as much as I do! Thank you for reading my review! Follow @bronteandwilder on Instagram for fun book recommendations!