These links show the original reading lists. Inclusion is not a guarantee of suitability for your child.
Oliver Jeffers - Author
This is a playful story about turning an impossible wish into a sequence of experiments. Its appeal lies in the boy’s imaginative plans and the surprising distinction between a star in the sky and something star-shaped.
The boy tries several different ways to catch a star, including waiting, climbing and using a paper rocket, before changing how he understands the goal.FavourableFavourable: the book presents this theme approvingly or positively.Favourable: the book presents this theme approvingly or positively.
How the book presents it: The sequence presents persistence and inventive thinking as central to the story, while allowing room to question whether continuing is always the best response.
Talk about: Which ideas help the boy think differently, and when might changing a goal be sensible?
Appearance and interpretation
The boy sees a star-like shape in the water and later finds a starfish on the sand, creating a contrast between what something looks like and what it is.Exploratory / explanatoryExploratory / explanatory: the book explains or explores the subject without an established evaluative position.Exploratory / explanatory: the book explains or explores the subject without an established evaluative position.
How the book presents it: The episode supports playful exploration of resemblance and meaning rather than a factual lesson about astronomy or marine life.
Talk about: How does knowing what the object is change the way we understand the boy’s success?
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Why It May Be Worth Reading
It offers a warm opening for talking about curiosity, persistence and how people solve problems when their first ideas fail. The humour also invites children to notice how appearances can mislead us.
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What Deserves Attention
Some children may focus on the boy’s repeated failures or his wish to possess a star. The story’s gentle, fantastical treatment makes those moments suitable for noticing feelings without assuming how every child will respond.
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A Conversation Worth Having
What might the boy learn from trying several ideas, and does finding something star-shaped fulfil the same wish as catching a star in the sky?
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Reading Approach
Read it aloud slowly, pause before each new plan, and invite predictions. Afterwards, compare the sky-star, reflection and starfish, then let the child suggest another imaginative solution.
Confidence & Basis
Theme indicators describe how the book presents a topic; they are not a verdict on the whole book or your family's values. Confidence reflects how much book-specific material was checked. Only part of the book information was available, so some details remain unconfirmed.
What remains unconfirmed
Persistence and problem-solving: The complete sequence and ending are only partly represented, so the story’s final judgement about persistence is not fully established.
Appearance and interpretation: Some details of this treatment remain unclear.
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