If you have any leftover tissue paper or ribbon lying around the house, you can turn your crafts into shooting stars by gluing thin trails to the bottom of your creations. If you’re reading this, it won’t be the first time you’ve heard that reading aloud to your child is one of the best things you can do to help improve their language, literacy and emotional development.

My Pet Star is told in rhyme and the words are like a big, warm hug. It is a beautiful book about being kind and when the time comes, letting something go. The girl knows that the star will eventually have to return to the sky, but when it does it doesn’t disappear from her life as it shines down from the sky watching over her.Curiosity about the images and working it out as team has so many special bonding benefits. I always find Rosalind Beardshaw’s illustrations offer lots of rich details to explore. Here are a few extra little hints and tips for reading My Pet Star aloud Take a photo of your pet's face. For the best results, take a photo of your pet with your dog or cat facing forward with his/her eyes open and mouth closed. Find out about the history of books. When were they first made? How has the production process changed? We’ve had lots of fun in workshops making our own little Pet Stars – caring for them and making beds for them to sleep in with little fabric scraps. Illustrator Rosalind Beardshaw has also designed some fabulous drawing guides to help you draw one.

I dedicated this book ‘To all the carers, big and small.’ And would like to add now - our most heartfelt thanks.

Your step-by-step guide

When a young girl finds a star under a tree, she knows it does not belong there. So she takes him home to look after, her own pet star. As the star regains its health and sparkle, it will soon be ready to return to the sky and the girl will eventually have to let go… Full of warmth and heart, this read shines as brightly as the star which heals. A beautiful bedtime story that will have readers dreaming of their own pet star.