The Lucky Star

Title: The Lucky Star

Author: Judy Young

Illustrator: Chris Ellison

Picture book for ages (approximately) 6 and up

Rating: 5of 5 stars

Summary:

This book tells takes place in 1933 during the Great Depression. The little girl, Ruth, has a hard time understanding her mother’s favorite phrase, “Count your lucky stars.” Throughout the course of the book she learns not only why her mother says it, but comes to believe in it too.

Opinion:

This is a heartwarming story about perseverance, love, and silver linings. This little girl always hears her mom say, “Count your lucky stars,” but Ruth has a hard time seeing these stars. Things her mom says she’s lucky to have Ruth doesn’t see as very good at all. For instance, her father lives hundreds of miles away so he can work. Her shoes are hand-me-downs and too big, and worst of all, she can’t attend school in the fall because the school is closed. She learns, however, that she can help change some of these things. She begins to teach her sister how to read and then goes on to teach the whole neighborhood. What better example of determination is there? She learns to take nothing for granted and ends up finding many stars to count. This is a skill I feel is becoming lost. People whine and complain seeing all the bad things life throws at them when there are hundreds of good things all around them they forget about. Optimism is often hard to find, maybe because it’s just easier to be a pessimist, but what’s easier is often not what’s right. As teachers, I don’t believe we intentionally teach pessimism, but we definitely don’t teach against it either. I believe we all would be a little happier if we did.

The illustrations in this book are gorgeous paintings filled with color and expression. They make you feel like you’re there, in the story watching everything that is going on. Ellison uses a variety of colors and sizes depending on the words of that particular page. My favorite is the very first illustration. It takes up two pages and shows the mother and daughter on the porch at night looking up to the stars. You can see the warm glow from inside the house and you can almost smell the night air.

I would definitely use this book in my classroom, not only on my library shelf, but for all grades in genre studies and author/illustrator studies as well. It sends messages of optimism, perseverance, and love, all of which are important messages to share.