The Stars

Ages 7 to 10, Grades 2 to 5

A dazzling story about love—for the stars, and for one another—between two young people, set in the multicultural city of Montréal.Every day, Yakov takes his sisters to the park. He’s supposed to look after them, but their games are boring, so he reads about space and dreams of becoming an astronaut instead. His father, though, has other plans: he wants Yakov to take over his grocery store when he grows up.Yakov’s world changes when at the park one day, he comes across a girl also reading a book about space. Aïcha has moved into the house right behind his, and the two become inseparable. Together, they search for constellations, check out astronomy books from the library, and marvel at the night sky. However, their fathers fear they are growing too close. They are forbidden from spending time together, and Aïcha eventually moves away.Years later, Yakov has achieved his dream: he works for NASA and builds space probes. Will he and Aïcha ever see each other again?

From award-winning picture book creator and cartoonist Jacques Goldstyn, The Stars is a brilliant and heartwarming hymn to friendship, the infinity of the sky, and following what you love.

About the Author

Jacques Goldstyn is an illustrator and a political cartoonist, who began life as a geologist. He received the Governor General's Award in 2017 for his book Azadah and was inducted to the Canadian Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2018. He has twice won Le Grand Prix du journalisme indépendant for editorial illustration.