WHEN STARS ARISE

A child winds down for bed.

After a busy day, the little one starts preparing to go to sleep as quiet falls and animals on the farm and in the nearby forest also begin settling down. Each page includes lilting verse with a version of the repeated refrain, “But do not sleep. / Don’t close your eyes / until the twinkling stars arise.” Once the toys are put away, the child has had a bath, and their caregiver has told them a bedtime story, it’s finally time to sleep “until the sun lights up the skies.” Alaraj’s poetry is gentle and sweet; combined with Czub’s watercolor illustrations, the tale truly comes to life. The delicate bleeding of blues, greens, and browns, the blurred edges, and the softness of the images blend for a fully realized world with the coziest of touches. The tiny feathers on the hen, the spots on the owl, and the wings of the geese provide texture. The yellows of the setting sun give way to the deep blues of dark, slowly taking readers into dreamland. This is a stunning marriage of text and art that will linger with listeners as they slip into sleep. The adult and child have brown skin and black hair. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

This melodic lullaby is warm and tender perfection.