⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Star in the Jar Written by Sam Hay and Illustrated by Sarah Massini {with teaching ideas}

I absolutely LOVE stars and am super excited to share Star in the Jar with you today. Written by Sam Hay and illustrated by Sarah Massini, Star in the Jar is a lovely children’s picture book about finding a new friend and letting go of that friend in the most heartwarming way.

Quick summary. The narrator’s brother, who loves finding things, finds a star. He asks around, and nobody has lost a star. So he keeps the star and takes it everywhere. And I mean everywhere. Until one day the sky sends a message about a lost star. The star keeper learns an important lesson about letting friends go where they belong.

Critique. Star in the Jar is a beautiful children’s picture book that offers young children a version of friendship that is not about welcoming friends in but rather letting friends go. This story will fit nicely into lessons about belonging and how to be the very best friend. The illustrations are colorful and vibrant. Readers who enjoyed the outdoor night scenes Tiny T. Rex and the Very Dark Dark will be smitten by Star in the Jar.

Teaching ideas. This book will work well in friendship counseling groups because it presents a version of friendship that is not often discussed at the early childhood level. Star in the Jar may also open up space for children to draw or write about how they have helped a friend recently. This is a great addition to a lesson about how to consider another’s needs over one’s own.

A stellar title, Star in the Jar earns five stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️