Once there was a boy and the boy loved stars very much. Every night the boy watched the stars from his window and wished he had one of his very own.
Thus begins, How to Catch a Star, by Oliver Jeffers, an early picture book. Weve had this book for a few years, yet my kids still pull it out.
It ends with a rustic illustration of a boy walking along the shore holding hands with a star fish. The boy had caught a star. A star of his very own.
Every time I read this book, I am inspired to create. It sends me into writers heaven. Reading to my children a few days back, I finally discovered why childrens books have such a profound effect on me (although I do not yet write childrens books). It is that stories are the gateway to the imagination. The rapture on their faces while reading reminds me of how far the mind can go. Of all the possibilities a story can hold.
