"?the best recent picture book by light years, is stylishly spellbinding."

"A story about possibilities and disappointments with a triumphant ending..."

"This is a magical, beautifully illustrated tale about reaching for dreams?"

'Hail to new talent...if only all
picture books could be this good.'

An inspirational story of a boy who loved the stars so much, he decided to catch one of his very own. The beautifully illustrated, original debut picture book from shining talent, Oliver Jeffers. There once was a boy who loved stars so much that he wished he had one of his very own. Every night he watched the stars in the sky from his bedroom window and dreamed of how he could be their friend and how they could play hide-and-go-seek together. So, one day, he decided to set about catching a star of his very own!

Once there was a boy and he loved stars very much...every night he watched stars from his bedroom window has wished he had one of his own. one day, he decided he would try to catch a star of his very own...but first he had to think of a plan

Oliver Jeffers studied visual Communication at the University of Ulster. Since graduating he has exhibited paintings in Belfast, New York and Sydney.
He started creating children's books when people wouldn't believe what happened to him unless he pretended he was telling 'stories'. At an early age, Oliver developed an appreciation of five-letter words and his loves include plastic food, wheels, suitcase handles, Elvis and, despite not having met one yet, polar bears.

Oliver Jeffers was born in Western Australia in 1977, and brought up in Belfast. He is an artist who began by exhibiting his work at several small exhibitions in Belfast from 1995-1998, before beginning to illustrate book jackets for local publishing houses. He graduated from the University of Ulster with a degree in Visual Communications in 2001.

From 1999 to 2000, he travelled to Australia and the US, settling in Sydney and becoming a freelance illustrator and painter, working for various magazines, and illustrating for the Lavazza Coffee Company.

The first picture book he wrote and illustrated was How To Catch A Star (2004), which was shortlisted for the 2004 Booktrust Early Years Award (Best New Illustrator). Lost and Found (2005) won the 2005 Nestlé Children's Book Prize (Gold Award) in 2005, the 2006 Blue Peter Book of the Year Award, and was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal. The Incredible Book Eating Boy (2006), was shortlisted for the 2007 British Book Awards Children's Book of the Year.

Oliver Jeffers continues to exhibit his work in London, Ireland, Australia and the US, and has undertaken illustration commissions for various organisations, including Starbuck's, Orange, and Sony PSP. He is also a co-founder of the art collaborative, OAR.

2008-09-01 Simple and lovely

There's something very soothing and calming about this book, which makes it perfect for bedtime. The story is simple, the illustrations are beautiful, and we all feel good when we read it. My two-year-old son absolutely loves it, and I do too.