#732 of 1001 · August 2, 2022

Today is the second anniversary of my first book review! To mark the occasion, I’m reveling in the sidereal beauty of Starcrossed by @juliadenos. Eridani and Acamar are the best of friends. They enjoy long conversations, exchanging deep questions and arcane knowledge. However, the children are separated by a seemingly insurmountable difference: Eridani is a human being and Acamar is a living constellation far from Earth. Though the two can communicate perfectly well, each has access to unique experiences that words simply cannot convey. In order to be together, they decide to wish on stars. However, having failed to articulate a plan in advance, the two inadvertently switch places. Acamar hurtles down to earth as a flesh-and-blood human, while Eridani ascends into space as a celestial being. Rather than view this twist of cosmic irony as a problem, the two simply continue their friendship as before, each satisfied to have attained a new realm of existence. Denos illuminates her marvelous fantasy tale through poetic text and energetic hand-lettered speech bubbles. She masterfully vivifies the glowing spectacle of her alternate history setting with mixed-media art executed in watercolor, India ink, salt, graphite, pastels, and digital paint. #star #stars #earth #space #outerspace #night #sky #friend #friends #friendship #magic #book #books #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks