Sharing Stella's Starliner

Wells, Rosemary. Stella's Starliner. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2014. Print.

When I first came across this book at my local public library, the silver starliner caught my eye. It is silvery enough to make you pick it up, so shiny and pretty.

I picked it up not knowing at all what to expect, never having heard of it before. I was rewarded with the art and the story, both of which are memorable.

First, about the story:
Stella is a sweet, sweet little fox. She lives with her mother and father in a Starliner in the woods. Her father works during the week, then comes home to the little trailer and his adorable family on Saturday, where he brings home "all the money in his pocket", fishes with little Stella, eats pancakes, then heads back to work down the road.

Stella and her mom live a peaceful life during the week and their little starliner has all the comforts! As the author writes, "Stella had everything she needed in her silver home." Their lives are made more perfect when a little bookmobile drops by! You see, Stella and her mom are readers! (That's my favorite part.)

But then -- and I didn't see this coming -- a "band of weasels" comes by, and they turn out to be very mean weasels.  They do a very mean thing: they make fun of Stella for living in the Starliner.  This part broke my teacher librarian heart. And it will probably break yours, too.

Stella keeps this to herself, until she finally tells her mother, who, in a comforting way, helps Stella cope with the cruelty and brings her out into joy again. As Moms and Dads do!

Soon they travel on, and find another place to live, where Stella finds a cute group of bunnies who adore her little Starliner. Those bunnies are adorable, too!

There is so much to that story, isn't there?

Now, about the art:

After the cover, you will notice the end papers. Dotted stars swirl on silver paper. It reminded me of constellations you look for in the sky. Everything has a silver sheen to it, and that is a good thing. Done in watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil on sand paper, the illustrations will literally dazzle you -- but not overwhelm. Even though everything is shiny, it isn't over the top. Frames on silver backgrounds contain homey scenes with Stella and her mama. Trees stand elegantly in lavender, and leaves swirl in  swishes of white and green. The other foxes in the little town Stella lives in are happy and you know this by their bright eyes. Stella's contentment is evident on her face when she looks up at her daddy at the table as he eats his pancakes. Happily.

And the pages where Stella is dealing with her troubles are surrounded by tracings of those menacing weasels. They are on her mind. These illustrations support and add to the story in every way. And also give us so much to enjoy and savor.

Another wonderful part is the round window in the Starliner. Notice the window throughout the book. Mama and Stella look outside at the end and see a stunning night sky.

My favorite art is a double page spread where the trailer is traveling in the air!

You really just need to get a copy of this book to fully appreciate what I am describing.

Rosemary Wells, thank you for this picture book and all its shiny silvery magic. But thank you most for little Stella -- a little fox who reminds us all about the happiness of home and the importance of  being kind with our words.

Visit Rosemary Wells at her website if you haven't already.