• Age: 3 to 7
• Grade: 1 to 12

A timeless and magical story about the power of love and imagination

Every night Milo’s mom tucks him in and reads him three bedtime stories, and Milo taps his dad’s picture three times. Mom always falls asleep first, so Milo sneaks out the window, catches a ride on a comet, and travels far above the clouds to help the Keeper of Stars.

After a long day, the sky is a bit of a mess. Together, Milo and the Keeper of Stars gather up stray balloons and feathers, rinse and polish the stars (which would be easier if they weren’t so ticklish!), and sometimes, the Keeper of Stars lets Milo play games with the baby stars. When everything is tidy, the two hard workers enjoy a cup of cocoa together and admire the millions of bright twinkles in the night sky before Milo heads back to his room and slides into bed, careful not to wake his mom.

Spare text twinkles with warmth, imagination, and humor as a child finds his own way to cope with separation from a parent and whimsical, eye-catching illustrations bring this charming bedtime adventure to life.

Jennifer Harris lives in Waterloo, Ontario with her husband and children, in a little storybook house. Despite the overloaded shelves, they all firmly believe there’s always room for one more book. When You Were New is Jennifer’s second picture book, after She Stitched the Stars: A Story of Ellen Harding Baker’s Solar System Quilt. She’s also a published poet and the author of numerous essays. When not writing or reading—or thinking about chocolate—Jennifer teaches English at the University of Waterloo. You can visit her at www.mypbjam.com.

Jennifer Harris' profile page

Dorothy Leung is an illustrator from the suburbs of Toronto. She studied and worked in architecture before pursuing her illustration dream. She is the illustrator of When the Wind Came and The Bird Feeder. In her work, she strives to evoke empathy, nostalgia, sentimentality and wonder. Dorothy's work has been recognized by the Society of Illustrators and American Illustration and has appeared in publications such as The Walrus and the Globe and Mail.

Dorothy Leung's profile page

• Commended, A Junior Library Guild selection

"Reading The Keeper of Stars will leave young readers calm and intrigued, looking into the heavens for the big bear of Ursa Major and falling stars and even owls and bats in the night sky. And maybe even dreaming of their own celestial adventures."

CanLit for Little Canadians

"A gentle bedtime story touching on parental absenteeism with a sweet message that things exist, even when you can’t see them."

School Library Journal

"The snug story is as comforting as it is captivating... The fanciful illustrations are transporting, with star-swept vistas and cozy bedrooms receiving equally detailed treatment, and the sprightly stars’ amusing antics are a joy to behold. A sparkling bedtime story that will set the stage for sweet dreams."

Booklist

"The fantasy of floating out one’s window, soaring on a comet, and hanging out with a big guy in the sky is enthralling, sustained by the imaginative illustrations."

Kirkus Reviews

"Emotional and charming, this book makes for a lovely bedtime read."

Sal's Fiction Addiction

"This gentle bedtime story is a reminder to find the light in the darkness."

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"A gentle picture book about the magical potential of a child’s bedtime routine."

Canadian Review of Materials