The Star Shepherd

by Dan Haring, MarcyKate Connolly

Overview

For fans of Neil Gaiman and How to Train Your Dragon comes a beautifully illustrated, fast-paced adventure about eleven year old Kyro, his best friend Andra, his trusted dog Cypher, and their race to save the stars.

When the world first formed, the night was black and filled with dark creatures. The Elders knew their people couldn't survive under such a threat. So they made the ultimate sacrifice: they gave their hearts to the sky in the form of brightly shining stars to keep evil away.

Now, eleven year old Kyro is a Star Shepherd like his father. He's spent his life tucked away in the outskirts of the small town of Drenn. There they watch the night sky for falling stars—and rush to rescue them when they do.

Then one night, too many stars fall at once, and terrible dark creatures start to appear in the forest by their home. Kyro's father journeys to the Star Shepherd Council to report the threat. But when he doesn't return Kyro must figure out how to save them himself before enough stars fall for the dark creatures to make their return.

Kyro, along with his trusty dog, Cypher, and his friend, Andra, must find the cause of the threat before it's too late.

Perfect for 5th graders and boys 10-14, young readers will devour this fun, fantasy adventure if they love stories with:

• Drawings and illustrations
• Trusty sidekicks (especially the furry kind)
• Evil, mythical creatures
• Ancient robots

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781492658207
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	09/10/2019
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.20(d)
Lexile:	770L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 14 Years

About the Author

Dan Haring is a visual effects and animation artist, who has worked on films such as Tangled, The Lion King 3D, Incredible Hulk and Rio 2. He is currently helping create new worlds in virtual reality at Strange Reptile. He loves comic books, especially Batman. He lives in Utah with his awesome wife and kids.

MarcyKate Connolly is a New York Times bestselling children’s book author and nonprofit administrator who lives in New England with her family and a grumble of short-nosed dogs. She is the author of the Shadow Weaver series and the Hollow Dolls series, and co-author of The Star Shepherd. You can visit her online at marcykate.com.

Editorial Reviews

07/01/2019

From Connolly (Shadow Weaver) and animator Haring, in his authorial debut, this middle grade fantasy follows a premise reminiscent of beloved titles such as Diana Wynne Jones’s Howl’s Moving Castle and Neil Gaiman’s Stardust. Once, the Seven Elders transmuted their hearts to the stars to protect humanity from dark creatures, such as the fire-breathing, spiderlike vritrax. Centuries later, though, their secrets have been lost, and Star Shepherds, who re-launch fallen stars back into the starlight net, are ridiculed. Tirin; his 11-year-old son, Kyro; and their terrier, Cypher, have lived on the fringes of Drenn society ever since Kyro’s mother died and Tirin began shepherding to honor her memory. After the Star Council disregards Tirin’s assertions that star clusters are falling and being stolen, he sets off alone to find the culprit. When he doesn’t come home, however, Kyro, Cypher, and Kyro’s friend Andra must separate truth from myth and shield civilization from coming horrors. Though nebulous worldbuilding, clunky prose, and a surfeit of telling slows the narration, young readers may find this an engaging entrée into fantasy, helped along by striking black-and-white illustrations and a satisfactory ending. Ages 8–14. Agent: (for Haring) Kathleen Ortiz, New Leaf Literary; (for Connolly) Suzie Townsend, New Leaf Literary. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"A story about friendship, family and finding your way in the world—this book truly shines!" — Jen Calonita, author of the Fairytale Reform School series

"Haring and Connolly have crafted an inviting fantasy that combines the epic feel of a creation myth with plenty of monsters to fight and monumental wrongs to right… this handsome volume is adorned with plenty of spot art and striking, full-page illustrations and is likely to draw in younger middle-grade readers as well as tween fantasy lovers." — Shelf Awareness

"A wonderous celestial fable" — Kirkus Reviews

"Uplifting and inviting from beginning to end, The Star Shepherd is a fantasy that’s focused on kindness, courage, and constellations of possibilities." — ForeWord

"An engaging entrée into fantasy, helped along by striking black-and-white illustrations and a satisfactory ending." — Publishers Weekly

"Readers will relish this fantasy with high suspense and clever plot twists. Loyalty, friendship, parent/child relationships, good vs. evil, and quests are all addressed." — School Library Connection

"A story that lives somewhere between fairy tale and epic fantasy...will work for younger readers making their first forays into fantasy" — Booklist

"A pleasant steampunk-esque fantasy that should do well in larger collections." — School Library Journal

From the Publisher

09/01/2019

Gr 4–6—Kyro, 11, and his father have never recovered from the death of Kyro's mother, who had been a Star Shepherd—someone tasked with finding stars that fall out of the sky, fixing them, and putting them back. Then Kyro's father disappears on his way to warn the Star Shepherd's Council about the excessive number of falling stars and the monsters that are attacking. This starts Kyro's epic quest to find his father and solve the mysteries. Accompanied by his dog Cypher and later his best friend Andra, Kyro has many adventures and meets interesting, sometimes scary creatures, including spider-like monsters, iron giants, a mysteriously kind sea captain, and Pelag, the last remaining Elder who originally set the stars in the sky (along with a piece of his heart) and now searches for a way to finally die. The folkloric origin of the stars and their place in this world may be a little confusing (how do you attach stars in burlap bags to hooks in the sky? What holds up the hooks?), but the concept is intriguing, and the plot moves quickly. The twist ending suggests there may be other adventures to come. VERDICT A pleasant steampunk-esque fantasy that should do well in larger collections.—Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library

School Library Journal

2019-06-25
Stars are falling, and the people who usually send them back up aren't able.

Kyro's father, Tirin, works as a Star Shepherd. He watches the skies all night. When a star falls to Earth nearby, Kyro and Tirin run outdoors, scoop it up, and catapult it back to the sky before dawn. Each star is different: One's a "strange, molten thing, with light leaking out over its curves"; another "shimmer[s] like liquid silver but [i]s as light as a handful of feathers." But something's wrong: Stars are falling in daylight and in clusters, the gaps they leave in the dark sky allowing ancient, evil creatures into the world. When Tirin disappears, Kyro, with pal Andra (a girl who's more supportiveness trope than person), embarks on a desperate journey to find his father. The plot begins as a wondrous celestial fable with some steampunk elements—cogs and gears; clockwork; star cases of "glass and metal with hooks built into the design and angled just right to catch on the edges of the sky." But it morphs surprisingly and disappointingly into a story of combat featuring sentient, mechanical giants and fire-breathing spiders with slimy black webbing. The final battle slogs, and the plot's reveals are reported listlessly. However, the star premise shines throughout. Kyro, Tirin, and Andra seem white or light-skinned.

A mixed bag: Fights and reveals are lackluster, but the stars and steampunk glow. (map) (Fantasy. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews