Hello, Star

A sighting of a supernova in early childhood launches a Black girl into an enduring fascination with stars and space—with particular compassion for the one she first saw—in this well-paced picture book. Lucianovic emphasizes how the child’s wonder and concern evolve into a career path, as she speaks to the star throughout primary school, college, and eventually as an astronaut. Descriptive prose focuses on lyricism over transmitting information: “It could become a neutron star, made of material so heavy that a teaspoon of its shimmering, blazing star stuff would weigh as much as a mountain.” Harrison’s characteristically absorbing illustrations, rendered in colored pencil and digitally, make vivid use of chiaroscuro, offering mesmerizing, photorealistic spreads of skies and space in this narrative ideal for young astrophiles. Back matter features an author’s note. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)