Oliver Jeffers, Where to Hide a Star, HarperCollins Publishers, October 2024, 48 pp., RRP $27.99 (hbk), ISBN 9780008579685
Once there was a boy, who would often play hide-and-seek with his friends, the star and the penguin …
Boy and penguin are reunited, and the timing couldn’t be better – 2024 marks twenty years since How to Catch a Star was published, the author’s impressive debut rumoured to have been discovered in a pile of unsolicited manuscripts. In this exquisite new offering, the boy’s friend, the star, goes missing, launching a rescue mission with the help of a Martian friend who just so happens to have a snazzy spaceship with star-finder. Along the way, the boy discovers he’s not the only one who likes having a star as a friend. But even more importantly, he learns the most precious things in life are to be shared.
Jeffers has a seemingly magical ability to blend the fantastical with the everyday, one of the countless reasons his work resonates so strongly with young and old. At first glance, his text and illustrations seem pared back, delicate even, but they are far from simple. Together, they exude curiosity and a sense of wonder, capturing the unrestrained imagination of the young boy, free from the emotional limitations that often define the adult world.
Jeffers has penned several picture books set in the world of the boy including Lost and Found (2005), The Way Back Home (2008) and Up and Down (2010). What better way to celebrate the creative genius of Oliver Jeffers than with this new story featuring beloved characters, old and new, celebrating joy, friendship, home, loyalty and sharing.
A cherished addition to any library.
Reviewed by Maura Pierlot
