Sample book · Paper Cut-out
Sami and the Starry Sky
A little light for a big night.
The family in this book is made up. Yours would be painted from your photos.
10 painted spreads
or turn the pages with the arrow keys
Ada and Sami had never slept beside a lake before. Their tent made a little hill among the trees. The real lake went on and on. “Good place for stars,” said Ada. Sami hugged Hoot. “Good place for pancakes, too.”
3
After supper, the lake turned dark and shiny. The trees became one big hush. Sami zipped his jacket right up to his chin. “I’m not worried,” he whispered. “Hoot just wants to know where the light went.”
5
Ada clicked on her headlamp. A small gold circle landed on Sami’s boots. “There’s our light,” she said. Then she tipped her head back. “And look! The sky brought some of its own.”
7
Ada knew three real constellations by name. Tonight she found a new one. “See that round bunch of stars? A pancake!” Sami looked. “It needs syrup.” “That,” said Ada, “is a very important discovery.”
9
Another handful of stars curved over the lake. “A canoe,” said Sami. “With room for Hoot?” Ada asked. Sami nodded. “He gets the best seat.” Hoot said nothing, which was just like Hoot.
11
A little farther along, Ada spotted two starry ears and a long starry tail. “Our cat!” she said. Sami giggled. “She would never sit still up there.” They watched the stars. The cat did not move a whisker.
13
Then a small cloud sailed past. The pancake vanished. So did the canoe. So did their cat. Sami pulled Hoot close. “The stars went away,” he said, very quietly. Ada moved a little nearer.
15
Ada let her headlamp go dim. “The stars are still there,” she said. “We can wait together.” Sami tucked Hoot between them. The lake made a tiny shush against the rocks. They waited. Shush. Shush.
17
When the cloud passed, Sami pointed up. “There’s another one.” The stars made a small round face and two reaching arms. “Who is it?” Ada asked. Sami smiled into his jacket. “Me. I’m brave enough to be up there.”
19
Inside the tent, Sami tucked Hoot in first. “Good night, pancake. Good night, canoe. Good night, cat.” He peeped at the stars over the tent. “Good night, me.” Ada’s headlamp went out. The lake whispered, shush.
21For the big sisters who hold the flashlight.
On the back
On their first camping trip, Ada knows just what to do when night feels too big for Sami. Above their tent, the stars are waiting to become something familiar.
- The cast
- Ada (daughter, 8) and Sami (son, 4)
- The setting
- A lakeside campsite in the Boundary Waters, Minnesota, in late summer
- The dedication
- For the big sisters who hold the flashlight.
