Review: Stella Keeps the Sun Up by Clothilde Ewing and IWSG

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group posts every 1st Wednesday of the month and gives writers/authors a chance to admit fears or offer encouragement to those who need it. (started by the fantastic Alex J. Cavanaugh) To join in, click the image for more details! The amazing co-hosts this month are  Joylene Nowell Butler, Jacqui Murray, Sandra Cox, and Lee Lowery!

This month's question: Is there someone who supported or influenced you and isn't around anymore?

That's an easy one to answer. Yes. My mother passed away this last November, and she was one of my biggest supporters...and not just in writing. Every little accomplishment I had, she'd jump on the phone and call my aunts and tell them about it. I think she was more excited about everything than even me. And yes, I do miss her.

*****

And now, for today's review!

The cover on today's review is so full of energy and happiness that it had me smiling the second I saw it. I'm betting this little girl is a ball of joy and probably has a head packed with all sorts of clever ideas. And isn't that hippo cute?

Anyway, the idea of trying to keep the sun up so the day never end sounds like it could include all sorts of humor and nonsense. So, I was more than curious to see how Stella accomplishes this...or at least, how she thinks she's going to do it.

Oh, and this was doesn't come out until March 8th, but it's available for pre-order (of course).

STELLA KEEPS THE SUN UP

by Clothilde Ewing

Illustrated by Lynn Gaines

Simon and Schuster

Picture Book

48 pages

ages 4 to 8

COMING...

MARCH 8th!!!

In this incandescently fun, hijinks-filled picture book, a young girl schemes to keep the sun up in the sky so she never has to go to bed.

If Stella had her way, she would stop sleeping on her sixth birthday. Because sleep is boring. And there are so many better things you could be doing. And Stella is tired of being tired. So she comes up with a plan. People only have to go to bed when it gets dark, and it only gets dark because the sun goes down. If she can keep the sun in the sky, she and her best friend, Roger, can stay up for a hundred years!

They enact their magnificent, wonderful, genius plan, offering the sun a cup of coffee, shining a light at it so it will shine back, and jumping on a trampoline to reach the sun and push it higher. But before long, Stella begins to wonder…are there downsides to keeping the sun up forever?

GOODREADS   /    B&N    /   AMAZON   /   BOOK DEPOSITORY

MY TIDBITS

Determination, clever ideas, and a trusty friend at the side are all this girl needs to take on the sun and convince it to stay.

Stella loves to do all sorts of activities, and she's not a fan of bedtime, since she has to sleep all night with nothing to do. It seems a waste. The only way to end this nonsense is to stop the sun from setting. It's not an easy task, but Stella is ready to take on the challenge...and that without her parents knowing what she's up to.

Stella is so full of energy and excitement that it's hard not to smile. The joy of life beams from her. I was glad to see that this doesn't change the entire book through, either. When something doesn't seem to work out the way she hopes, there's no pouting or time for negative thoughts. She just jumps right into the next attempt. This positivity stays all the way to the end thanks to an interesting and sweet twist.

The illustrations are bright and let Stella's personality glow. The hippo on her side is super cute and adds to the fantasy and fun—a talking hippo in sunglasses is definitely a treat. Each spread carries the needed details to let Stella's world open up and switches seamlessly between the reality and fantasy.

While Stella is trying to keep the sun up to keep playing (which is something to think about), there's a long-distance friendship at play. This, unfortunately, is only mentioned very briefly in the beginning before hitting again at the end and might go over some young listeners' heads until explained. Still, this is such a cute read, and I do recommend it.

And here they are...

Clothilde Ewing started her work life as a lifeguard, but she has spent most of her career telling people’s stories as a journalist (CBS News), television producer (The Oprah Winfrey Show), and communications professional. She loves using the written word to honor a child’s imagination and is on a mission to help adults tap into the wonder they felt as children. She believes that one of the greatest lessons we can pass on to our kids is that differences are for celebrating, and that we have more in common than we ever imagined. A native of Cleveland, she lives in Chicago with her husband and two highly energetic children.

Lynn Gaines has been making art for years and is still in love with making it! Born and raised in Ohio, she currently works for American Greetings, but also loves making art for children’s books and kids-related products. She works both digitally and traditionally, often combining the two. She hasn’t met a craft she doesn’t love—sewing is one of her favorite hobbies. She looks for inspiration everywhere and often finds it in bookstores and thrift stores, looking in vintage children’s books and animation, and even in a garden or two. In her spare time, she is a bit of an illustration nerd, loves to roller skate, read, and toy with writing. Lynn lives in Northeast Ohio with her husband Mel, her mom, and two fur-kids and studio mates, Charlie and Harry.