The Star Child is written by The Brothers Grimm, translated and adapted by J. Alison James, and illustrated by Bernadette Watts. It is the story of a lovely little orphan girl named Mathilde who has nothing but a little piece of bread to eat and the clothes on her back. She goes on a journey through the land and decides to give the bread to an elderly man and each article of clothing from the hat on her head to the shift on her back away to poor children, until she is naked. She is then rewarded for her kindness when a shower of stars fall to her feet and weave together a beautiful warm white dress, shawl, and boots.

The illustrations are certainly what drew me to this book, having had not been familiar with the fable by the Grimm Brothers. The illustrator Bernadette Watts has been recognized as having "a big talent" by Kirkus Reviews. Her pictures are rich and detailed, establishing a soft and seemingly tranquil setting of the land Mathilde is travelling in. Every page is a spread of color, illustrating the sunny countryside with peasants and wildlife, over the course of a day until it is night. Pictures reinforce the text by showing the old straw houses of the poor and the wind blowing through the trees and little Mathilde's hair.

The original story was in German and was translated and adapted into the English language so it is difficult for me to compare it to the original. I was deeply moved by the story primarily from the illustrations, I found the text to be simple, plain and sufficient to tell the story. It is surely an example of didactic story telling however, I didn't find myself feeling like it was a lesson pretending to tell a story. It probably was because the illustrations alone establish a setting and provide so much engaging, that I was still able to enjoy the story despite it promoting the importance of giving and kindness.

This book is best suited for pre-school to grade 1 and despite Kirkus' Review of "the story itself lacks appeal for today's plugged-in child", perhaps the younger this story is told to the better. If anything at all, I think a young child would adore the appealing illustrations. ( )