Despite the fact that I’ve observed over 100 of them, book birthdays continue to be true celebrations for me—making this a very good week. September 4^th was the publication date for my newest picture book, The Stuff of Stars. And the notion of a book “birthday” is particularly apt in this case, as the book itself is an ode to a series of connected births. As Kirkus Reviews said in its starred review, “It's a stunning achievement to present to readers the factual events that created the birth of the universe, the planet Earth, and life on Earth with such an expressive, powerful creativity of words paired with illustrations so evocative of the awe and magic of the cosmos. But then the story goes one brilliant step further and gives the birth of a child the same beginning, the same sense of magic, the same miracle.”As much as authors try not to play favorites with our publications, sometimes a book rises above, as happened for me with this one. So I’m especially honored to see the reception the title is receiving, with starred reviews like the one above, as well as in School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly and Booklist (you can see more of the reviews on my website). The latter called it “a captivating picture book that will be cherished by people of all ages.”I hope you will help me celebrate both this book birthday and the warm “welcome to the world” reception the book is receiving by checking out The Stuff of Stars for yourself! And if you’re a fan of Pinterest, you can visit boards that feature the book through either a “STEM” focus, or through a “Special Celebration” focus (baby showers, birthdays, baptisms).