SuitabookNo stars to wish on
Zana Fraillon
- Reading
- Read in short sections and invite the child to notice feelings and changes in Jack’s hopes. Let them decide whether to discuss the family separation immediately or return to it later.
- Themes
- Separation and belonging: Jack lives in an orphanage and wishes to return to his mother, sister, great-aunts and great-grandmother. The book?s stance on this remains unclear.
- Humour under pressure: Jack loves telling jokes, although not many people in the orphanage laugh at them. Humour is presented as part of Jack’s character, but its emotional purpose and how others respond across the story remain unclear.
- Objects and identity: Jack wears Number 49’s shoes and notices that the absent child is much bigger than he is. The book?s stance on this remains unclear.
- Worth knowing
- Be ready to pause around Jack’s life in the orphanage and his uncertainty about seeing family again. A calm check-in may help if the story’s haunting atmosphere feels emotionally heavy.