kiddital

Nova and the Missing Twinkle

Ivy Chen

Nova and the Missing Twinkle

by Ivy Chen

Ages 3–5 4.8SpaceFeelingsPatience

One night Nova the little star wakes up and her twinkle is gone. A stretch, a zoom and a polish don't bring it back, but a wave from a sleepy child just might.

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Age
Ages 3–5
Pages
18

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Tap the cover to open it. Turn the pages like a real book.

Nova and the Missing Twinkle

Ivy Chen

Once upon a time…

High above a sleepy little town, in a quiet corner of the sky where the darkness is soft as velvet, lived a very small star named Nova. She lived with her neighbors, the other stars, in a neat and shining row. Every evening, when the sun tucked itself behind the hills, Nova opened her eyes and got ready for her favorite job of all.

Page 1

Every night, Nova twinkled. Twinkle, twinkle, twinkle! It was her favorite thing in the whole wide universe. She twinkled for the owls and the crickets. She twinkled for the sleepy sailors on the sea. She twinkled most of all for the children in their beds, who looked up through their windows and smiled. Twinkling made Nova feel warm from her middle to all five of her points.

Page 2

But tonight, something was wrong. Nova opened her eyes, stretched her five little points, and tried to twinkle. Nothing happened. She tried again, harder. Still nothing. Her light was there, but it was quiet, and it did not blink at all. "Oh no!" gasped Nova, and she clapped her tiny points to her cheeks. "My twinkle is gone! Where did it go?"

Page 3

Nova looked in front of her, and behind her, and under her, and over her. She was still shiny, but she was not twinkly. Not one tiny blink. The other stars sparkled all around her like little lanterns, but Nova only glowed, steady and still. Her tummy felt wobbly, and her points drooped down. "I have to find it," she said in a small, worried voice.

Page 4

…and then?

Read on

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Story mood

Is it a wind-down book, or a wake-up book?

  • SleepySnooze-ready
  • SillySerious
  • BraveCozy
  • CuriousFull of wonder

Meet the characters

Tap a card to learn a secret.

NovaA small star with a big worry
Did you know?She twinkles fastest when she laughs, and slowest when she is sleepy.
BeepA helpful little satellite
Did you know?Beep says beep twice when happy and three times when confused.

Talk about it together

Conversation starters for after the last page.

1Tap to reveal
Why do you think Nova's twinkle came back?
2Tap to reveal
What makes you feel sparkly inside?
3Tap to reveal
Who could you wave to before bed tonight?

Try this at home

Cup constellation

With a grown-up, poke small holes in the bottom of a paper cup in a star pattern. Put a flashlight inside, dim the lights, and shine your stars onto the ceiling.

What your child will take away

  • ✓Naming big feelings
  • ✓Patience when something is hard
  • ✓Kindness makes us shine

About the author

Ivy Chen

Builds rockets out of cardboard with her two kids, then writes down where they went.

More by Ivy Chen →

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