Twinkle, The Littlest Star by Leslie Colburn is a beautifully illustrated and heartwarming story. This is a rhyming version of the Christmas Story with a different twist on what is known and was a very enjoyable read. Though I have to say that my great niece was not a fan.

Twinkle, The Littlest Star by Leslie Colburn is a beautifully illustrated and heartwarming story. This is a rhyming version of the Christmas Story with a different twist on what is known and was a very enjoyable read. Though I have to say that my great niece was not a fan.

This book is stunningly illustrated! The author delivered the story through lovely rhymes and focused on the importance of being yourself despite the odds. The Christianity toward the end sort of came out of nowhere for me, but perhaps that was my own naivety? If you're cool with a little surprise Christianity, this book could be for you!

Twinkle, the Littlest Star is an illustrated version of the Christmas story as told in Matthew 2:9–10. it follows a young star as she tries to find her place in the universe. the others shun her, pointing out this or that reason. eventually, she stops asking to be a part of someone else's group and shines her little bright light in a quiet and isolated area which brings her to the birthplace of a king / Jesus.

personally, i do not agree with the message or the use of the verse as a children's story (but i am not a Christian so i might be wrong here). it teaches them that validation comes from being in the vicinity of someone famous. the author could've expanded it in a different direction, helped her find a friend or made it an exploration of how shining on someone deemed as "plain" is special too.

nonetheless, the art is gorgeous and children will enjoy it.

I loved the illustrations in this book and it was enjoyable to read - the cadence of the sentences flowed well. However, my little one wasn’t very enthusiastic about it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy

This was a beautiful and heartwarming book. I loved the messaged this book shares with its readers. And I thought the illustrations were very well done. I bet I would've enjoyed this book as a young child.

This book is a bit of a bait and switch. It starts out with twinkle a star who is not very bright and is dim. She’s ostracized and not allowed to join other groups because of how not bright she is. She goes off and finds her own way until the day an angel comes and says shine your light. Turns out she’s a guide for the newborn king. I say this is a bait and switch because without reading the descriptions and based entirely on cover, you would think this has to do something with twinkle twinkle little star not with the birth of Jesus. The story rhymes in is nice and I do like it. I don’t like feeling tricked. My favorite thing about this book is the artwork. It’s cozy and comforting and wrapped you up like a warm blanket.

I feel like this will likely be a special keepsake for many families and a treasured tradition.

While I love that twinkle finds her own peace and courage to shine in her own. I would have loved for someone else to stand up and help her as she navigated her place.

As a public school educator this does not have a place in my classroom. But can think of many families who would enjoy reading and sharing this message.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the eARC! I really liked the whimsical pictures throughout this book. This story has a good message about not giving up and everyone has a time to shine!

This is a beautiful, hopeful book for the winter holiday season. Those who feel small, or unimportant, can share the hope that there is a purpose for their existence... just as they are without performance or changing their personhood to become acceptable to others. Shine on, Twinkle!

With stunning artwork and a beautiful message about standing out and finding your path, “Twinkle the Littlest Star” is a wonderful book for the little ones. The prose is lyrical and rhythmic, and full page illustrations keep you wanting to turn the page and see more. And the ending, which tied it to faith and the holiday season, was a delightful surprise. I only wish it was longer!

Twinkle, the Littlest Star is about just that- the littlest star who couldn't find her place to fit in. Little does she know that she'll be the Christmas Star, for all to see.

This book feels so special. For any child that feels small or left out, this will empower them to feel that they are special and will do big things one day.

The illustrations are really pretty- they're soft, flowing, and fit right in to that Christmas feel.

The book follows a rhyme scheme, so it will be easy to pick up the rhythm for young and experienced readers alike.

This book feels like it will be a family favorite read every year for Christmas and beyond.

🌟How bright appears the Morning Star,
with mercy beaming from afar;
the host of heav'n rejoices;
O Righteous Branch, O Jesse’s Rod!
Thou Son of Man and Son of God!
We, too, will lift our voices:
Jesus, Jesus! Holy, holy, yet most lowly,
draw Thou near us;
great Emmanuel, come and hear us.🌟

The verse above is from one of my favorite Christmas hymns. It is not as well known, but definitely complements this new seasonal picture book.

Twinkle is the littlest star and struggles to find a place to shine. As she wanders from place to place and group to group, her light grows diminished. Many of us know that feeling! Then she meets the angel and is given a place to shine to announce the birth of Jesus. What a privilege!

Psalm 147:4 (ESV) says: "He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names." That is something to contemplate as we consider the Christmas story. There was a star created just for the purpose of announcing the birth of the King. 👑

As Leslie Coburn says in her dedication: "To all the littlest stars. You were created on purpose." Yes, indeed! Shine, little stars, just like the star of old. 🌟

Thank you first of all to my GR friend Rosh for bringing this beautiful picture book to my attention. Love your recs! And thank you to Cross My Heart Press and NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is an absolutely gorgeous story of a tiny star called Twinkle who is trying to find her place in the universe. A mash-up of the nursery rhyme and the story of Christmas, this is the perfect bedtime book for kids, to show them that each star (and child) is special and that we can all do great things.

Thank you to Cross My Heart Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Twinkle The littlest Star by Leslie Colburn
Illustrated by Marcin Piwowarrski

Thank you @netgalley for my review copy

This children's story features a different version of the classic Christmas nativity. I found it a nice and unique one. The illustrations are very pretty and work well with the rhyming text.

In a Nutshell: A picture book combining the story of Christmas with the popular nursery rhyme. I love how the two are intertwined. Leaves some questions unanswered, but overall, this unusual Christmas picture book is a winner.

Plot Preview:
Twinkle is the smallest star and doesn’t glow as bright as the other stars around her. She feels a little dismayed at being so dim, but at the encouragement of the moon, she goes in search for her purpose. When an angel appears to her, she finally realises her role.

At a macro level, I loved this story. ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ is such a popular nursery rhyme, but this book brilliantly turns the small star into a spotlight for a very memorable birth. I didn’t expect Christmas content in this book because I had grabbed it only for the cover and the title. A pleasant surprise, indeed!
Twinkle is a great eponymous character. I like how she keeps on trying despite being rejected by the other stars, and how she doesn’t hesitate to approach even those who were bigger and brighter than her. She also makes peace with herself after a point, instead of stressing endlessly over her dimness. There are many values that little ones can learn from her.
A couple of things stopped me from going higher in my rating. For one, there’s no explanation of how Twinkle suddenly turned bright. She was dim, the angel takes her near Earth, and suddenly, she is bright! Her apparent increased brightness makes sense to Earth dwellers as the star is closer to them now, but to Twinkle herself, her light would be the same level. Did something magical occur? Did the angel grant her more luminosity? I would have liked some *light* shed on this point. I also wasn’t too satisfied with the very last line of the story: ‘a prince, a newborn king.’ While Christians know that both these terms are used to refer to Jesus, seeing both ‘prince’ and ‘king’ in a single sentence and referring to the same baby at once might confuse some little ones.
The story is written in simple rhymes in the ABCB scheme. I am not usually a fan of rhythmic prose, but they work well in this book and stick to the meter. Most of the words are fairly easy, and the trickier ones are simple to explain. The dialogues in the story are written in a lovely highlighted font with bright colours, while the rest of the text is in ordinary serif. This makes the conversations stand out.
The illustrations are really cute. Twinkle looks like a little ballerina with her tutu and ballet shoes. I would have expected a star to be dressed in white, so her Barbie-pink vest and aubergine tutu was a colourful surprise. There’s a smudged pastel kind of effect to the graphics, which works excellently for this story.
Definitely recommended. Just as the original nursery rhyme is a lullaby, this one too would make a lovely bedtime tale. It’s charming enough to be read throughout the year, but would be especially magical in this blessed season. The story ought to work well for ages 3-8.
4.25 stars.
My thanks to Cross My Heart Press for providing the DRC of “Twinkle, the Littlest Star” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Twinkle, the Littlest Star is a heartwarming story about perseverance and finding your unique purpose. Despite being small and overlooked, Twinkle shows that everyone has a special role to play. This sweet tale encourages children to stay hopeful and trust in their own worth, offering a new, inspiring take on the biblical star. A perfect read for young readers to embrace their uniqueness.

Such a sweet twist to a classic Christmas story! I loved the illustrations, and can’t wait to share this one with my child. It teaches that even the tiniest star can shine through and be called to a greater purpose!

My 5 year old daughter loved this book!

Her review: I liked the people as the stars and that the little star got to help and be important. I liked the pictures that went with the story.

This was a really sweet twist on the Christmas nativity story - centered on the star (Twinkle). It's a very cute book for young kids - with the cadence and rhyming something that keeps the story engaging and moving for the kids to follow along. The illustrations are gorgeous and the message in the book is wholesome and encouraging.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC to review!