book cover

How the Stars Came to Be

by Poonam Mistry

Interest age: 4 to 8
Reading age: 5+

Published by Tate Publishing, 2019

  • Around the world
  • Fantasy
  • Myths and legends
  • Picture books

About this book

The daughter of a fisherman worries about her father when he is out in his boat at night, so is thankful to the moon for lighting his way. However, on the few nights each month when the moon makes its journey to the other side of the world, her father is surrounded by total darkness. She fears that he will not find his way home.

The sun takes pity on the girl and throws a golden ray of light down to earth, where it shatters into a million glittering pieces. It tells her to place each shard into the night sky, where it will twinkle and glow, so that the fisherman will always have light to guide him home safely.

This enchanting contemporary folk tale about how the stars were made is exquisitely illustrated, beautifully combining colour, shape and pattern. Influenced by traditional Indian textiles, paintings and ornaments, the intricate illustrations are hand-drawn in black ink before being manipulated by computer software to incorporate colour and adjust composition. The palette of rich reds, golden ochres and cool blues are set against a velvety black background, creating a stunning picture book that will make a treasured gift.

About the author

Poonam Mistry is a freelance illustrator living in Leicester who graduated in 2010 with a degree in graphic design and illustration from the University of Hertfordshire. Her style incorporates her love of nature and her Indian roots and explores the relationships between pattern, shapes and colour. Poonam’s upbringing and childhood have heavily influenced her work, in particular being surrounded by Indian fabrics, Kalamkari textiles, Madhubani paintings and hand-painted ornaments. These patterns and intricate details are featured in her style of work.

She loves folklore tales and stories of Hindu gods and goddesses and these have been a rich source of inspiration in a number of her illustrations. Poonam’s work is drawn by hand with black ink before she uses computer software to add colour and adjust the composition of her illustrations.

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