It takes a quote from scientist Carl Sagan and develops it into a verse format picture book.
The text is evocative and exploratory as it describes a theory of the creation of earth, and thus the birth of children and people everywhere.
'But one lucky planet,
a fragile blue ball we call Earth,
was neither too far
nor too near.'
Yet it is the illustrations -- made from hand-cut, digitally assembled marbled paper -- that captured my attention.
Starting with waves of purple, blue and black; moving to bursts of red, yellow and orange; and red butterflies, brown and green horses, and other shapes; the artwork is full of splatters and swirls of colour.
It is not until the final page that the words of the book title are found:
'You,Whatever you believe in terms of creation of the earth, The Stuff of Stars is a book that can be appreciated for its celebration of life and its beauty.
and me
loving you.
All of us
the stuff of stars.'
Title: The Stuff of Stars
Author: Marion Dane Bauer
Illustrator: Ekua Holmes
Publisher: Candlewick, $27.99
Publication Date: September 2018
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780763678838
For ages: 4+
Type: Picture book
