Star Stories

For thousands of years people have looked up at the stars and been inspired to tell epic stories of gods and goddesses, monsters and heroes. This beautifully illustrated book brings together a selection of some of these stories from around the world. * Minitravellers *
We might know some of the names of the star constelletions we see in the sky, changing slightly from season to season - The Big Dipper and Orion's Belt, for instance. We might also have heard of The Milky Way and The Pleiades, but children may not be aware of the wealth of origin stories that exist in different cultures explaining why the stars are in their various shapes. Egyptian legend tells the story of Ra, the mighty Sun god, and how he was banished to the sky by the clever goddess Isis; alternatively, a tale from the Cherokee Nation outlines how ingenious Grandmother Spider caught the sun in her woven silk bag and gave it to Buzzard to place high in the sky. Sumerian mythology tells the tale of the great king Gilgamesh and his battle with the Great Bull of Heaven (the constellation of Taurus). Anita Ganeri's short retellings of these fascinating myths span the Americas, Asia, Africa, Greece and Australia, highlighting the wealth of wisdom that exists in world cultures and offering children access to other ways of seeing the world. Andy Wilx's stunning gold illustrations are full of epic majesty, and lend the book the grandeur it deserves. * BookTrust *
We have been telling stories inspired by the night sky for centuries and hand them down from generation to generation. This wonderful book tells some of the most marvellous legends from all over the world. The White-Winged Horse and the Golden Fleece from Ancient Greece, Grandmother Spider and the Sun from North American, The Pharoah's Soulfrom Africa and The Story of the Seven Sisters from Oceania. A lovely book that would make a great present. * Angels and Urchins *
This beautiful book brings together legends from around the world that relate to constellations. There are stories about Heracles, Pegasus, Taurus, The Big Dipper and Orion. Each is just a few pages long but had enough information to be interesting to both adults and children. The illustrations are striking, in predominantly gold and warm colours, some of them covering whole pages, and some dotted around the text, so there is plenty to catch the eye. * Juno *
As a stargazer, I was immediately drawn to this book. As a teacher, I was entranced with this book; the purpose, the language and illustrations are all cleverly constructed. It is such a gift to have a selection of constellation tales from around the world. Each story is structured with beautiful simplicity, making it uncomplicated for the reader to escape into the narratives and join the dots of the glittering formations we see in the night sky. The myths begin at the point of origin where each constellation locates itself. The reader then has the joy of a traditional retelling of each story. I particularly loved how the stories span the continents. The tales of the Ancient Greeks have always enticed and excited me, as have Inuit tales. Reading about Nanuk, Andromeda and the Sea Monster instilled a sense of nostalgia, alongside a newly discovered feeling of intrigue through the inclusion of the Incan constellation tale about a Llama, a Cherokee tale about the Grandmother spider and the Sumerian 'Gilgamesh and the Bull.' This book truly is a gift for any bookshelf and classroom. It is intricately made and illustrated. But, most importantly, in a time where the bright lights children see can be sourced from a screen, this paves a way for them to gaze at a light source further away encouraging a sense of mystery, awe and wonder. -- Lucy Timmons * Just Imagine *