The Fairview Review: Virtual Book Tour My Love for You Is Like the Night Sky

ABOUT THE BOOK

My Love for You Is Like the Night Sky

Written and Illustarted by Laura Smetana

Ages: 0+ | 34 Pages

Publisher: Flying Cardinal Press (2025) | ISBN: 978-1737140993

Publisher’s Book Summary: With vivid watercolor collages, My Love for You Is Like the Night Sky, is the stunning companion to the award-winning book, My Love for You Is Like a Garden, named a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2023.

Say “I love you” at bedtime or anytime with this lyrical story that celebrates love with bold, colorful illustrations of stars, planets, and galaxies. As they look up at the stars, a child’s mother explains that her love is like the night sky. It glows with pride like the full moon, is as radiant as a meteor shower, and as vast as our solar system.

Readers of all ages will be inspired to step outside to marvel at the wonders of the night sky together—and maybe even spot a shooting star. Children will delight in learning the names of the planets in our solar system, the phases of the moon, and more in the glossary. A beautiful book to share with anyone you love!

PURCHASE LINK

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MY REVIEW

Engaging cut-paper watercolor collages draw readers into this description of the love between a mother and child. Small golden hearts float out of the chimney of a cozily lit house as the two characters sit on the lawn and gaze up at the night sky. Overhead the Big Dipper holds even more hearts. Another page shows a heart-shaped constellation. The text describes their love by comparing it to objects they can see in the sky. I enjoyed the evocative language used in the book. Love “sparkles with joy like stars” and “glows with pride like a full moon.” It is compared to the graceful flow of the Milky Way and the vastness of the solar system. The scope of love reaches “across glittering galaxies.” There is a reassuring strength to the love between them that echoes the cosmic objects they are observing. The illustrations have the welcoming feel of an Eric Carle book like Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me. The text reinforces over and over again the lasting quality of the love, “dependable as the phases of the moon.” This is a story easily incorporated into bedtime rituals and many young readers will probably be chanting along with favorite lines. I also appreciate the extra back matter provided by the author. A picture glossary of terms from the book encourages readers to go back and locate each object named - telescope, meteor shower, etc. A chart displays all the phases of the moon with each one labeled. There is also an image of our solar system from the sun through all the planets out to Neptune (also labeled). These extras make it a fun introduction to astronomy as well as a feel-good story to read together with your own loved one.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR-ILLUSTRATOR

Laura Smetana is an award-winning author and illustrator. She loves creating bright, joyful cut-paper watercolor collages inspired by nature. Her author-illustrated book, My Love for You Is Like a Garden, was named a Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2023, received a starred Kirkus review, and numerous other awards. She is also the author of Ice Cream with Grandpa: A Loving Story for Kids About Alzheimer’s & Dementia, (illustrated by Elisabete B. P. de Moraes), which won a Northern Lights Book Award. Laura co-authored her debut children’s book, Little Squiggle’s Lake Adventure, with her son. When she isn’t writing or painting, Laura can be found inspiring kids to create their own books at school author visits, teaching collage art to adults and children, stargazing, and going on walks to find the moon with her family. Laura lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and son. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, the Downers Grove Artists’ Guild, and the Nature Artists’ Guild of The Morton Arboretum.

Visit her online at www.laurasmetana.com.

https://x.com/SmetanaLaura

https://bsky.app/profile/laurasmetana.bsky.social

TOUR SCHEDULE

Monday, May 12, 2025

The Children’s Book Review

Tour Kick-Off for My Love for You Is Like the Night Sky

Tuesday, May 13, 2025

The Fairview Review

Book Review for My Love for You Is Like the Night Sky

Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Confessions of a Book Addict