Touch the Brightest Star (Hardcover) by Christie Matheson

About the Book

An interactive picture book showcasing the beauty of nighttime.

Book Synopsis

This interactive bedtime story proves nighttime isn't scary at all. The gentle journey from sunset to sunrise shows even the youngest children the magic of the nighttime sky--and lets them make magic happen! A companion to the popular and acclaimed Tap the Magic Tree.

What happens while you're sleeping? With lush, beautiful watercolors and cut-paper collage, Christie Matheson reveals the magic of the nighttime sky, using the same kinds of toddler-perfect interactive elements as her acclaimed Tap the Magic Tree. Wave good-bye to the sun, gently press the firefly, make a wish on a star, rub the owls on their heads, and . . . shhhh. No two readings of this book will be the same. That along with the gentle, soothing rhythm, makes Touch the Brightest Star a bedtime winner--no matter how many times you and your child read it.

"This exploration of the world at night should be inviting to even the very youngest children, who will also enjoy its imagination-fueled and child-powered interactivity."--The Horn Book

From the Back Cover

Magic happens every night.
It happens everywhere, from sunset to sunrise.
It even happens when your eyes are closed.

When you wave good-bye to the sun, fireflies start to blink outside, owls wake up in the forest, and stars shine above cities and towns and farms and mountains.
Shhhhh.

Magic happens every night. And in this book, you become the magician.
How?
Tap the sky, make a wish, touch the stars, and whisper to the moon.
And then . . . turn the page.

Review Quotes

"A nocturnal companion to Matheson's Tap the Magic Tree (2013), this interactive picture book illuminates nighttime's wonders. . . . An implicit sense of power (and even a hint of magic) follows each page turn. . . . A delightful bedtime book."--Kirkus Reviews

"Although simple in presentation with ample white space, the artwork provides a glorious rendition of the four seasons of a tree. No iPad is needed to make this interactive book totally satisfying."--Booklist

"Matheson invites readers to take an apple tree through a seasonal round using taps and page turns in place of touch-screens. . . . A universal theme, developed in an unusually clean, simple presentation."--Kirkus Reviews

"Take an apple tree through the seasons by tapping, brushing, shaking, and clapping. . . . It's a good on-the-way-to-bed activity."--Publishers Weekly

Praise for Tap the Magic Tree: "Proves you don't need apps for interactivity. ... You can imagine this book wearing out after repeated tapping, swishing, counting and shaking, but you won't ever have to recharge its battery."--New York Times

"A charming bedtime story."--School Library Journal

"This exploration of the word at night should be inviting to even the very youngest children, who will also enjoy its imagination-fueled and child-powered interactivity."--The Horn Book

"The conceit of this clever picture book is that the changing seasons occur as if by magic. Readers are shown a bare brown tree and are implored to, "Tap it once. Turn the page to see." As they do, green leaves appear. . . .Simply a treasure to behold."--School Library Journal