Starred ReviewStarred Review Stars of the Night
The Courageous Children of the Czech Kindertransport
“A not-to-be-missed, inspirational book about courage, heart, and the necessity of caring for others.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Stars of the Night recounts the powerful true story of the 669 children who traveled as part of the Czech Kindertransport from Prague to Britain on the eve of World War II, as Hitler’s campaign of hatred toward Jews and political dissidents took hold. Told from the collective perspective of the children, the narrative follows their journey as they leave everything they’ve ever known in hopes of staying safe. After the war ends, they return to Prague only to find that nearly all of their parents have been killed by the Nazis. And more than fifty years pass before they learn the identity of the British man who was instrumental in saving their lives—Nicholas Winton.
Award-winning author Caren Stelson teams up with acclaimed illustrator Selina Alko to sensitively tell this tale of survival and defiance in the face of tyranny.
| Format | Your Price | Add |
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978-1-5415-9868-3
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$14.99 | |
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978-1-7284-7926-2
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$24.99 |
Awards
- Social Justice Literature Award Recommended Reading List
- Notable AwardNotable Award National Jewish Book Award Finalist
- Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature Best Books of the Year
- Notable AwardNotable Award Bank Street College of Education's Best Children's Books of the Year 2024
- Notable AwardNotable Award NCSS/CBC Notable Social Studies Book List
- Notable AwardNotable Award Orbis Pictus Award Recommended Book
- Notable Books for a Global Society List
- Notable AwardNotable Award ALA Notable Children's Book
- 2024-2025 Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List
- Notable AwardNotable Award School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
- CYBILS Award Finalist
- New York Public Library Best Books for Kids List
Reviews
Association of Jewish Libraries
“Both heartbreaking and hopeful.”—Association of Jewish Libraries
Jewish Book Council
“Balancing tragedy and hope, this story preserves the memory of Jewish children who found new lives despite and because of their irrevocable losses.”—Jewish Book Council
Children's Literature Comprehensive Database (CLCD)
“[A] good addition to teach elementary-aged children about a lesser known event during the second World War and how one person can make a difference in many lives. Reviewer Rating: 5” –Children’s Literature
BayViews
“Stelson masterfully provides background context for today’s young readers, while keeping the focus of the story on the children’s experience. Rating: OUTSTANDING”— BayViews
Booklist
“In a collective voice . . . Stelson describes rising tides of anti-Semitism, tearful partings, scary journeys by train and boat, meetings with British foster families, and then a return to Prague at war’s end to search out the scanty remnants of families and, long after, to learn who had organized the escape.”—Booklist
Starred ReviewStarred Review School Library Journal
“A necessary and inspirational book about a little-known light amid a dark period of history, this book should find a home in all libraries.”—starred, School Library Journal
Publishers Weekly
“Stelson employs a communal we to narrate this story of 669 primarily Jewish children of the Czech Kindertransport . . . Impressionistic acrylic, collage, and pencil art by Alko is embellished throughout with sparkling stars and round yellow orbs.”—Publishers Weekly
Starred ReviewStarred Review The Horn Book Magazine
“Quiet but immediate. . . . The in-the-moment text combines with emotional acrylic, colored-pencil, and collage illustrations in Alko’s signature style to create a dreamlike atmosphere.”—starred, The Horn Book Magazine
Starred ReviewStarred Review Kirkus Reviews
“A not-to-be-missed, inspirational book about courage, heart, and the necessity of caring for others.”—starred, Kirkus Reviews
Nick Winton
“This book tells my father’s story through the eyes of the children he helped to save from the Holocaust. It is a reminder of the huge difference any one of us can make in the lives of others. Our world depends on it. It is down to people like him, people like us, to make the change we want to see.”—Nick Winton, son of Sir Nicholas Winton