TWINKLE, TWINKLE, LITTLE SEA STAR

A couple of turtles lead the charge to return sea stars to water in Welton’s illustrated children’s book.

On a beautiful night, lit by a full moon, clouds roll in, bringing with them a great storm. Huge waves crash onto the seashore. When morning comes and the storm has passed, a group of sea stars find themselves trapped by kelp on a sandy beach. Murtle and Max, a couple of royal—and possibly magical—turtles notice the starfish calling for help. The benevolent turtles, wearing golden crowns, waste no time answering the call: “Birds bring a carpet from the sky. / ‘Hop on, sea stars, get set to fly.’ // The birds each grab a carpet string. / ‘Well, now you've got our wings,’ they sing.” Owls, otters, ducks, and dolphins join the rescue effort. Eventually, thanks to the turtles and their sea-dwelling friends, the sea stars are returned safely to the water. Pham’s vivid, full-page cartoon illustrations embellish the narrative with enchanting details: Max, the larger of the two turtles, wields a scepter with a golden star at the tip; when he waves it, gold and pink ribbons waft through the air, helping the rescue effort along. The sea is rendered in brilliant blues, greens, and white frothy waves and bubbles, illuminated by shards of sunlight, effectively capturing the motion of waves and tides. The story is related in poetry; most pages contain a single rhyming couplet written in tetrameter, giving the story a charming singsong quality. The sparseness of the text is one of the book’s strengths, as it leaves space for the expressive images. For example, as the rescue nears a close, the illustration shows a menagerie of sea creatures and birds, united and proud, all gently carrying the sea stars home, and the text simply reads: “Don't stop until our work is done— / Make a difference to each one!” The exciting, collaborative rescue operation is bookended by moments of calm, ending with a celebration.

A delightful tale of cooperation and compassion.