This is a quiet little story about a boy named Milo, who every night taps his father’s picture three times, and reads not just one, but three books with his mom who falls asleep. Soon after, he puts on his slippers, and waits for the comet that comes that will bring him to help the Keeper of Stars, so that he can clean the sky of such things as balloons, and any smudges made by airplanes, as he joins The Keeper of Stars in washing and polishing the stars, who are harder to wash as they are ticklish. Sometimes he even makes mistakes, and the Keeper of Stars gets a bit grumpy.

There’s a lot of charm in this story, including the charm of the illustrations as well. A wonderful story which will appeal to both parents and young children.


Pub Date: 15 Apr 2024

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Owlkids Books, Owlkids

A calming bedtime read about a young boy who climbs out his window each night to hitch a ride on a comet and help the Keeper of Stars (a large friendly bear) clean up the night sky: washing, polishing, and sweeping the stars, then playing and dancing with them. There's a gentle, whimsical tone to the writing and illustrations, with no real conflict in the story; the boy simply chronicles a series of simple yet wondrous things for young readers to imagine, like sitting on a cloud drinking hot chocolate or trying to bathe a ticklish star. There are a few moments of humor - such as when an attempt to spell "Happy Birthday Mom" in the stars stars turns into silly anagrams - and a subtle nod to missing an absent parent, but mostly this is just a cozy hug of a bedtime story.

This was lovely! A small part of me was concerned about how some children believe everything they read, and the main character climbing out the window was a bit eh, but most children will recognize the story is more about imagination and reaching new heights!

A cute story. Loved the pictures. The amount of words to a page was just right. Enjoyed the story. Perfect for multiple ages. Truly enjoyed the story with stars!

This is a short and beautiful illustrated story that is perfect for bedtime! Just enough whimsy and fun, but not overstimulating. Loved it!

This was such a beautiful, seemingly whimsical tale. The mix of dreamlike scenes in beautiful illustrations together with a small amount of star information and a photograph of a dad open to interpretation. Every page was magical and fun. Stars are always there, even if you can’t see them. Powerful.

This book is filled with adorable illustrations and fantastic imagery. I love the clean-up of the sky that our protagonist does, and especially how he comes home covered in stardust. Although it isn't straightforward, the potential of a lost loved one is there.

I wasn't sure what to expect from The Keeper of the Stars because there wasn't a description, but the cover looked cute and cozy so I decided to give it a try! I love that the story starts off with the main character, Milo, being read a bedtime story by his mother and then transitions into his nightly adventures. The illustrations with the night sky and especially the ones with The Keeper of Stars had the same cozy vibes as the cover and I absolutely would have loved to see this style of illustration throughout the entire book. I think young children will enjoy the story, especially the way that Milo goes on an adventure and helps The Keeper of the Stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Owlkids Books for the opportunity to review an eARC of The Keeper of the Stars.

This was such a cute book! This book would be great for a child with a vivid imagination. I loved the illustrations, especially the pages with no words. It really added to the story.

This was a sweet story with beautiful illustrations that is just a bit off the mark in narrative. It is reminiscent of the Disney Pixar short La Luna, and while sufficient for a read aloud, leaves a lot of questions unanswered for the adolescent reader: who is the keeper of the stars? (Are we to imagine it’s his father)? Why does he need to clean the sky? Why is it important that he sometimes keeps the stardust on him? Etc.

Milo an elementary age child has a lovely bedtime routine where he has three books read to him by his mother which is such a wonderful way to start a story. The illustrations of The Keeper of Stars by Jennifer Harris and beautifully illustrated by Dorothy Leung is enchanting.

Milo's mother falls asleep each night before Milo and then Milo gets picked up by a comet each night to clean the stars and the sky from the day. This is a deep fantasy book for children but it does touch on sky debris such as balloons and jet pollution. So it has an environmental message and Milo is a kind child carrying for the stars feelings that he takes care of. It's also a story of companionship but the story felt a bit sad with no friends and the loss of a father without explanation just taps his father's photo three times. It's a book about imaginary friends which is sweetly done but I wouldn't say I like how his mother is portrayed. Her mouth is hanging open and he doesn't seem to hug her when he climbs back in bed.

One of the things I liked was that owls were pictured with this being a book published by OwlKids Books. But overall it just felt sad.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher OwlKids Books for the opportunity to read and review The Keeper of Stars.

Thank you to Owlkids and NetGalley for the eGalley to review!

This was a sweet little story about a young boy (Milo) who has a very certain bedtime routine, which includes helping the Keeper of Stars clean up the night sky. This means washing (and occasionally sweeping) the moon and stars, clearing up stray clouds and any vapor left behind by planes, and removing any other debris left in the sky. When all the labor is done, Milo and the Keeper enjoy a nice meal before Milo is brought back home by the same comet that takes him to the Keeper. He's mindful to not wake his mother--who always falls asleep before him--and to tap his father's picture three times before getting into bed.

The emphasis on routine, the number 3, and even the three books his mother reads with him at bedtime always being the same implies that Milo may be autistic without needing it to be explicitly called out. This is a wonderful thing for autistic kids, showing that they're not just represented by the books they read but also that it's just normal behavior. There isn't a spotlight on it, it's just naturally there.

The other emphasis is Milo's dad's photo that he pays respect to every time before he gets into bed. Given that the comet that takes him away to do his nightly duty has glasses just like his father and that the Keeper of Stars appears to be Ursa Major--the parent bear to Ursa Minor, the baby bear--implies that this is Milo's way of feeling closer to his father, who is not there with him and his mom. The last lines of the book say that Milo knows the stars are always there, even when you can't see them; this is typically what many adults say to children when a loved one is no longer in their lives, so this means Milo's father has passed away or is having to be abroad or is missing otherwise for whatever reason. This is a sweet way of interpreting that grieving process and a great way to bring out the imagination of a child while at it.

Finally, I just want to say that the illustrations are beautiful and it's a lovely book to just look at, let alone read. It's definitely a recommendation for those who love whimsy and need that bit of a pick-me-up.

This is one of those bedtime story books where the kid goes off on adventures when he is supposed to be sleeping. Every night, his mother falls asleep first, while reading to him, and so he climbs out the window, and rides a comet to the stars, where he keeps things clean with the bear from Ursa Major.


It isn’t clear if his father is dead, or just away, but before he climbs back into bed, after his adventure, he taps the photo of his father three times.


The pictures are lovely. THe idea of cleaning the starts is cute. And I liked how it all wraps up with him covered in star dust, as he falls asleep beside his mother.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book will be coming out the 15th of April 2024.

This is a great look at caring for others. I liked the illustrations and the rambunctious stars that he gets to help play with and put back in the sky.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

The Keeper of Stars
by Jennifer Harris
a beautiful story about responsibility, and magic. A great story for bed time, as the adventure was just after. the Magical story shows that caring for others is important. It may serve as inspiration during social emotional learning.

What an absolutely magical book!

After his mother falls asleep each night, Milo slips out the window in order to hitch a ride into the night sky on a friendly comet. Together with the ursine Keeper of Stars, Milo tidies up after the stars, which resemble rambunctious children. Dorothy Leung’s illustrations outshine — if you’ll pardon the pun — Jennifer Harris’ words — which is amazing, as Harris spins a most absorbing yarn. Children will adore this fanciful book, and so will their adults.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Owlkids Books in exchange for an honest review.

A great story about imagination with beautiful artwork. Perfect for a quiet bedtime read. Would definetily reccomend.