My Bright Shining Star

Fatima lives in a big house with lots of other children. Her mummy found it hard to look after her sometimes, so she and Teddy went to live in the children’s home. Aunty Rae is Fatima’s favourite grown-up there, and together they love singing a song about the North Star.

Over time, other children find their families, but when Fatima visits various families, they don’t feel like home. Luckily, she still has her bright shining star: Aunty Rae.  

Based on Fatima Whitbread’s own childhood, this is a celebration of foster carers. It shows the reality that there is no easy or quick way to find your ‘forever family’, but that love and kindness can still exist in a child's life. A page at the back tells Fatima’s own story, of both the real Aunty Rae and her adoptive mother, which is very moving.

The whole book is touching and not too sad, despite the subject matter. It may start conversations about different family set-ups and how not everyone has the same home life, which encourages empathy. The illustrations are warm and beautiful, making this a heartwarming read overall.