BOOK: STELLALUNA
AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR: JANELL CANNON
PUBLISHER: SCHOLASTIC
PAGES: 48
AGE RECOMMENDED: 3+
In a forest far away, a mother fruit bat has a new baby and names her Stellaluna. One night, an owl attacks the bats, knocking Stellaluna out of her mother’s pouch, and she falls into the forest below. Soon the baby bat ends up in a bird’s nest filled with three baby birds named Pip, Flitter and Flap. The mother bird will let Stellaluna be part of the family only if she eats bugs, does not hang by her feet, and sleeps at night.
When the birds grow, they learn to fly. When Stellaluna and the birds are out playing, it gets dark, and the birds go home without her because they will not be able to see in the dark. Stellaluna keeps flying, but when her wings hurt, she stops to rest. When she does, she hangs by her thumbs. Soon other bats come, and one asks Stellaluna why she is hanging by her thumbs. As she tells the other bats her story, Mother Bat reunites with her and Stellaluna finally understands why she is so different.
Excited about learning how to be a bat, Stellaluna returns to Pip, Flitter, and Flap to share her new experiences. They agree to join Stellaluna and the bats at night but find they are unsuited to flying at night and nearly crash. Stellaluna rescues them, and the four of them decide that while they may be very different, they are still friends and family.
A very old tale and I was searching for this lovely book for years to read to Nathan. After a long wait, I found it in a pre-loved bookstore and Nathan thoroughly enjoyed this read. The illustrations are realistic and the author used oil colours to draw each picture. You could also find a pencil sketch of the scene that takes place on the page, in the top corner.
A very beautiful story about friendship, and family and it tells us, that even if were are different doesn’t mean we cannot fit in. A must-read book and if you can, add it to your home library too.
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