Book Descriptions
for When the Stars Came Home by Brittany Luby and Natasha Donovan
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Ojiig moves to the city from the country with his mom (Anishinaabe) and dad (white). He feels uncomfortable and unseen in the urban environment. Ojiig observes that, “His neighbors say ‘hello,’ instead of ‘boozhoo.’ Mostly his neighbors said nothing at all. City folk paid more attention to park ducks than they did to him.” The cultural differences are hard enough, but Ojiig deeply misses the country landscape, specifically the vast night sky full of stars. Lamenting, his parents buy him glow-in-the-dark stars for his ceiling and a star-shaped nightlight, but it’s not the same. In time, his mother begins working on a patchwork quilt, and with each fabric color, she relates a story of Ojiig’s ancestors. Reassured by the stories, Ojiig feels physical and emotional comfort when his mom reveals the completed quilt with a giant star design in the center. Ojiig is doubly surprised when his beloved grandparents, Mishomis and Kookum, arrive for a visit from the country. It is only then that Ojiig begins to warm to his new home. (Ages 6-10)
CCBC Choices 2024. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2024. Used with permission.
From the Publisher
A 2023 Horn Book Fanfare title * A Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature Best Book of 2023 * A CCBC Choices Best Book of 2023
★ "A moving portrait about discovering what home means."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ "Highly recommended."--School Library Journal, starred review
★ "Luby's lyrical text and Donovan's vibrant...illustrations combine to powerfully convey universal themes about change and the strength of family."--Horn Book, starred review
A heartwarming look at how the comfort of tradition and story can create a true sense of belonging, told through an Indigenous lens.
When Ojiig moves to the city with his family, he misses everything they left behind. Most of all, he misses the sparkling night sky. Without the stars watching over him, he feels lost.
His parents try to help, but nothing seems to work. Not glow-in-the-dark sticker stars, not a star-shaped nightlight. But then they have a new idea for how to make Ojiig feel better -- a special quilt stitched through with family stories that will wrap Ojiig in the warmth of knowing who he is and where he came from. Join this irresistible family as they discover the power of story and tradition to make a new place feel like home.
★ "A moving portrait about discovering what home means."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ "Highly recommended."--School Library Journal, starred review
★ "Luby's lyrical text and Donovan's vibrant...illustrations combine to powerfully convey universal themes about change and the strength of family."--Horn Book, starred review
A heartwarming look at how the comfort of tradition and story can create a true sense of belonging, told through an Indigenous lens.
When Ojiig moves to the city with his family, he misses everything they left behind. Most of all, he misses the sparkling night sky. Without the stars watching over him, he feels lost.
His parents try to help, but nothing seems to work. Not glow-in-the-dark sticker stars, not a star-shaped nightlight. But then they have a new idea for how to make Ojiig feel better -- a special quilt stitched through with family stories that will wrap Ojiig in the warmth of knowing who he is and where he came from. Join this irresistible family as they discover the power of story and tradition to make a new place feel like home.
Publisher description retrieved from Google Books.
