I gave Mr R some pens to draw on and decorate the silver stars, as foil is a different texture which he hasn’t used for mark making before. The young boy loved stars so much, he wanted to have one of his very own. I loved how the boy originally wished for a star and how he imagined his life would be, once he got his new star friend. The illustrations compliment this story nicely and I think they showcase what the text is trying to accomplish. The illustrations draw you in, they move you through the story. Book Genre: Academic, Adventure, Childrens, Environment, Fantasy, Fiction, Growth Mindset, Nature, Picture Books, Psychology, School, Space, Storytime Can you spot the four differences between these two pictures from Oliver Jeffer’s How to Catch a Star? How to Catch a Star Maze Printable

There once was a boy who followed his dream. Although the end result wasn’t exactly what he had originally planned, what he received was perfect. Oliver Jeffers does it again, as my heart was singing when I finished reading this book and I immediately, had to reread it. If you want to be less ethereal then Perry Como’s ‘Catch a Falling Star’ creates a more upbeat feel…

I like to use ‘Marking Ladders’ to provide steps to success to support children’s learning – they can be easily found if you Google them. The simple illustrations can be used as a sequencing activity on a time line or a washing line as the children retell it independently.

Once they were cut out we collected the together and got ready to wrap them in foil. We simply measured suitable sized squares of silver kitchen foil and put a snip either side of each star point to allow us to wrap the foil around the stars neatly. 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. I can’t believe we had not come across this book before! But it’s definitely better late than never and we have been really enjoying this lovely story. Print out the six pieces to make your own How to Catch a Star mobile craft, using the instructions below. How to Make The How to Catch a Star Mobile My boys have been enjoying the book and doing the activity sheets which has given them more opportunity to talk about the story.

I then like to change things a little by creating an instructional text ‘How to Catch a Star’. The children learn this text map and then innovate it, choosing their own way to catch one. This can be written up in a simple format following the key features of writing instructions. Why does the boy think the star looks really big? Connect the dots in this How to Catch a Star dot to dot activity sheet to find out. Printable How to Catch a Star Mobile Craft to Make Finally he sees a star ‘floating’ in the water and he thinks this is finally his chance get his prize – and so he does as a star fish washes up on the shore. The ending to this book really is uplifting and heartwarming as the little boy realises his dream and catches his very own ‘star’. It’s the sort of adventure children would love to imagine themselves in and at the same time can relate to his determination - that’s possibly why they love reading it.

I also love the story ‘Katie and the Starry Night’ which works beautifully with the Oliver Jeffers book and can lead to art activities based on the Van Gough painting.I love Oliver Jeffers' books, especially his series about the little boy, of which this is the first book. We had already read the next book, Lost and Found, the one where a lost penguin turns up on his doorstep and he tries to help it find its way home again - such a wonderful book! This one is just as delightful, and really captures the kids' imaginations.