May the Stars Drip Down

May the Stars Drip Down
by Jeremy Chatelain
Illustrated by Nikki McClure
Abrams, 2014. Unpaged Picture Book

Here is a book that will certainly be on some Caldecott watch lists this year. The text is a lyric free verse poem that is in the form of a bedtime blessing. "May the stars drip down light upon you,/And you close your eyes to see the moon./And sleep will pull you through." The text is lovely, but the stylized, blue, white and yellow illustrations are what really make the book. The cut paper illustrations suggest a dream world both restful and enticing. As with many of the finest picture books, the end papers add insight and completion to the story. This is one that is worth checking out.

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