Touch the Brightest Star by Christie Matheson

Touch the Brightest Star Reviews

• 
  Kathryn

  Cute but not quite as magical as I had hoped. Maybe the novelty just wore off for me since this was the third one in the series I read. My favorite is still the first we read (Seed). My son still enjoyed it though :-)
• 
  Angeline Theis

  The illustrations pair perfectly with the words on each page. I love the interactive quality of this precious bed time book. It's one of my son's favorites.
• 
  KC

  An interactive story about what happens at bedtime.
• 
  Liz

  I really like this one! I don't think it works for toddlers as well as Tap the Magic Tree does, but it's still a great preschool storytime choice.
• 
  Chance Lee

  I almost fell asleep reading it, and that's a compliment for a bedtime board book.
• 
  Jessica

  I use
  Christie Matheson's
  Tap the Magic Tree frequently in class visits to the library, and only recently decided to switch it up and try out
  Touch the Brightest Star. It's the same format, that asks the children listening to do things to create "magic" when you turn the page. The actions the children take are a little different in this one, like blinking your eyes, swiping the page to create a comet (I thought for sure that today's children would know how to swipe, but it was a little difficult for them), and breathing deeply. I was surprised by what a soothing effect the book has on a group of children. This would be a perfect calm-down book for the end of a program or a bedtime storytime!
  
  Ages 3-6
• 
  Ashley Handzlik

  Summary: This is about magic and it being everywhere from sunset to sunrise everyday. It tells you about all the magic and where you can find it. This book is basically telling you that everything happens for a reason and just because you fall asleep that doesn't mean that magic in this world just stops. The magic goes on even when you are asleep. This magic is never ending and when you wake up it just all begins again.
  
  Activity: Give the children a picture of a star and have them draw, inside the star, what they believe something magical that is happening in the world. Make sure to explain why you think that is a magical thing that is happening in the world.
  
  APA Citation: Matheson, C. (2015). Touch the Brightest Star. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins.
• 
  Ina

  This is a beautifully illustrated interactive book. Lots of touching, tapping, and swiping changes the scene from dusk - through the night - and then to the new dawn. There is even a "dot to dot" to identify the big and little dippers (like a "spoon" says the text). The text is simple and quiet, the illustrations lovely. There is a glossary in the back that explains all the things the reader found in the night sky as well as the night animals that appear. A great cuddle and read before bed book.
• 
  Michele Knott

  I loved Tap the MagicTree. I loved seeing how these interactive books make kids enjoy reading and makes them interact with the story in a clever way. Now, there are other books that try to be interactive but fall short of their end goal. I'm glad there are these books to bring a smile to many young readers faces.
  This is a beautiful bed time story. I may have found my new favorite gift book!
  Love how the author included information about some of the things we see at night.
• 
  Kris

  Love this one! Interactive stories are so much fun, but they usually get kids even more active and excited, so they aren’t a great choice for bedtime. This is an interactive bedtime story! All of the instructions are gentle and calm, and the art is soothing and relaxing. A great take on the interactive picture book concept.
• 
  Jillian Heise

  A rhyming, interactive book good for younger readers. Beautiful.
• 
  Halli

  Just like Tap the Magic Tree, Matheson has created another magical interactive picture book. I can't wait to share this in my storytime sessions this fall!
• 
  Haley Shaffer

  Recommendation from Workshop Survival
• 
  Melissa

  Such a cute book that is interactive and perfect for a toddler or preschooler.
• 
  Christina

  My four year old loved being able to interact with this book, touching it where it said to, patting the deer, etc.
• 
  Kelly

  An interactive book about nighttime.
• 
  Beth

  Very interactive and a quick read before bed for kids. Will be recommending to parents/looking for baby shower books
• 
  Rachel

  I like that it's interactive! Plus the colors are soothing. The last page color scheme is happy and leaves you on a good note. Cute book.
• 
  Becky

  Of all the interactive books that popped up after Press Here, Matheson's seem to be the best. This one is particularly lovely because it's so soft and nighttimey. An excellent bedtime book.
• 
  Kathleen

  I really enjoyed this night time story. My tyke, not so much, but he's a little young still. It's short, and it covers the transition from day to night from a nature perspective. Say hello to fireflies and the big dipper, and good night to deer. It's a bit of an interactive book, giving the reader instructions (touch the star, rub the owls head). I wish someone would tuck me in with this bedtime story.
• 
  Chinook

  Maddie, 3: I liked when we petted the owls’ heads.
  
  The illustrations are beautiful and the actions are fun for the girls.
• 
  Cheryl

  Ah... I don't know how to judge! 'Mature' adult me mocks it for being trite, but young mom me, reading it with my little boys, probably would have loved it to pieces. Very short; if you have access to children or an inner child, give it (or one of the companion books) a try.
• 
  Viviane Elbee

  Gorgeous illustrations in this interactive bedtime book for toddlers, preschoolers and kindergarteners.
• 
  Asho

  The kids and I listened to this story at our library's "Story Time on Screen". While I think this would obviously be better experienced as the bedtime/laptime story for which it is intended, it actually did work as a read aloud in the big screen format. All of the children would reach their hands up and pretend to touch the movie screen. It was very cute! As for the book itself, I always enjoy these types of interactive books, and I know the kids do, too. This one was especially sweet, with peaceful and relaxing illustrations. In reviewing this I can now see it's a companion book to Tap the Magic Tree, so I will have to look for that one as well.
• 
  Erin Buhr

  This gentle book is interactive, but still makes for a great bedtime story. There is no vigorous shaking or shouting in this tale. Children are encouraged to tap a deer to say goodnight, trace the dipper, whisper to the moon and more. Beautiful collage illustrations depict the sky turning to night and then back to early day. There is some bonus information at the end of the book on what makes nighttime seem so magical. 2+
• 
  Angela

  I checked out this book from the library, and it is now one of my favorite bedtime books. The book tells the reader to "touch the brightest star" or "swipe across the sky," and it results in something magical on the next page. I like how it is interactive without any noises or crazy embellishments; the book simply has colorful pages with something new on each page to see. This book is especially great for preschool-aged children.
• 
  Cecilia

  Another interactive picture book. The magic of these rely on the child being too young to understand how the book "knows" but old enough to appreciate that the book "knows". Despite the fact these have such a specific audience, I really appreciate the creative effort on all the authors' parts to make the books work. This author is no exception. Creative and beautiful, it will surely leave a feeling of wonder in its intended audience.
• 
  Heather

  Reading this as the first bedtime book is ideal. We read four and the interaction element requires some energy. Beautiful colors, soft and simplistic content. For sensory kiddos needing books that aren’t too loud, this is the one. Also great for deaf children. The interaction and simplistic pages allows for parent to child communication/teaching ASL signs for what’s on the page.