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Mystical Encounter
A Stargazer centers around a sick little girl who is convinced she has been healed by a star boy and his magical stardust. Where did the idea of Vesper, the “star boy,” come from?
Already early on, I borrowed all the space-themed nonfiction books from the small library in my home village and tried to observe the starry sky on dark winter nights. However, without a telescope, you couldn’t see much detail, although you could spot some constellations. For my story, A Stargazer, I drew inspiration and details primarily from this childhood fascination with the starry sky.
There is also a particular incident that closely resembles the meeting between my story’s little girl and the starboy. As a child, I built a snow lantern in windy weather so enthusiastically and for so long that I ended up with a very high fever. I had to stay in bed for days, and the illness wouldn’t let up. Finally, in my feverish delirium, I saw a translucent figure descend onto my blanket and smile kindly at me. When I told my mother about this angelic visitor, she quickly arranged for me to see a doctor.
I’ve slightly modified this mystical encounter with my clear angel figure to the beginning of my book. As a teenager, I fell in love with David Bowie’s song “Starman.” There was – and still is – something very captivating about its lyrics and melody. What do we really know? What if this isn’t all there is? What else could there be in the universe?
Do you believe wonder is a starting point for learning, especially in children?
Absolutely. Curiosity and a desire for knowledge are powerful forces. It’s good to satisfy them by reading, asking questions, and listening to those who are more experienced and knowledgeable than you.
I have personally gained a lot of knowledge from libraries. Of course, schools and later studies have continually added to those lessons. I hope that learning never stops, not even now that I am in my senior years. At least, I remain just as curious about everything around me—only the things that need explanation have changed.
I believe that curiosity and wonder keep people engaged and active at any age. Mental fitness influences us throughout life and can support overall well- being. It’s unfortunate when adults discourage a child’s enthusiasm for exploring the world. I always try to encourage young minds to make their own observations and think independently. I see my children’s books as a tool for this as well!
Life is such an interesting and valuable gift, regardless of your age, that it’s worth embracing it as the ultimate journey of discovery. We never know where the winds and currents will carry us. There’s plenty to wonder about along the way, and the destination itself invites reflection.
The artwork in your book is wonderful. Can you tell us about your collaboration with illustrator Nyamdorj Lkhaasuren?
I have had the pleasure of working with Mongolian illustrator Nyamdorj Lkhaasuren on several children’s books. Our collaboration started years ago through our mutual connection, Mongolian publisher Nepko Kids.
Initially, Nyamdorj Lkhaasuren illustrated my Axel and Ava Series. His interpretation added warmth, color, and humor to the everyday adventures of young children. When I started working on the Lyrics of Life Series for slightly older children, two stories immediately came to mind that would be perfect for Nyamdorj Lkhaasuren to illustrate. He was excited about the topics, so A Stargazer and The Hermit’s Hut were recently created and recently published in English and Finnish.
Lkhaasuren’s art is vibrant and detailed. In our two latest collaborations, his style creates enchanting and magical worlds with richer colors and more mystical details. He utilizes modern digital technology to its fullest, and the spreads he creates are a constant inspiration to me. He is exactly the kind of illustrator whose visual interpretations of my stories inspire me to write more and more.
I hope we can soon continue our collaboration on new books. I have already drafted some stories for this purpose. But first, I’m going to pitch A Stargazer and The Hermit’s Hut to the publishers I’ll meet at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair later this spring.
What do you hope children feel when they recognize themselves in Aylin?
Aylin, the main character, is both vulnerable and strong. I hope children find inspiration and encouragement in this story when they need to dig deep to build self-confidence and pursue their dreams.
Life is about standing your ground, even when others oppose you. Sometimes, obstacles are tough and require a lot of courage to overcome. Other times, they’re more subtle and involve just some headwinds. Aylin faces both types. It’s never easy to be the only one who believes in something, and enduring the laughter, teasing, and belittling from others makes it even harder.
Aylin’s behavior in the book also demonstrates a vital lesson: the value of seeking help and forming alliances with trustworthy, like-minded people. The young girl receives support from three different adults, each aiding her in a unique way. Her father shares her fascination with space and assists with the telescope, while the librarian respects her curiosity by guiding her toward the right books. Additionally, she finds a surprising kindred spirit in the old janitor of the observatory, who also has stardust in his eyes.
By featuring such a diverse cast of supporters, the story aims to encourage making friends across different ages and backgrounds and finding common ground with them. The best companions for life’s various journeys aren’t always found among peers—while those connections may feel more effortless, they don’t always challenge and refine our thoughts in the same way.
Growing up around people of all ages and generations simply taught me about humanity and the value of collaboration. These experiences gave me the courage to face life’s challenges together with others. I often say that age is a fluid concept. Some are born old, while others remain eternal children. These different starting points lead to fascinating encounters, where you might even find yourself talking about stardust, if the mood strikes you!
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But when Aylin’s class visits the city observatory, things don’t go the way she expects. Her most important questions are met with impatience-and laughter. Just when she’s about to give up, an unexpected friend appears: the observatory’s elderly janitor, who seems to understand stardust and the beauty of the universe better than anyone.
A luminous picture book about curiosity, resilience, and keeping your sense of wonder-even when others don’t understand.
A Stargazer
A Stargazer, by Tuula Pere, follows Aylin, a child laid low by a fierce fever, who becomes convinced she’s been visited and healed by Vesper, a star boy carrying real stardust. What begins as a strange nighttime encounter turns into something quieter and more grounded: a story about being disbelieved, teased, and gently pushed toward “pure science,” even as wonder keeps burning inside her. Aylin reads space books, saves up for a telescope, studies the night sky with her father, and finally finds, in the observatory’s elderly janitor, the first adult who meets her imagination with recognition instead of correction. It’s a small book, but it carries a tender argument about how a child’s inner life can survive skepticism without hardening into bitterness.
What I liked most is the book’s emotional logic. It understands that ridicule doesn’t always arrive as cruelty. Sometimes it comes as a smile from a teacher, a worried glance from a parent, a brisk appeal to common sense. That felt true to me. Aylin’s hurt at being waved off, especially when she tries to speak about Vesper at school and gets turned into a joke, gives the story its real ache. I was especially moved by the recurring image of stardust lingering on the windowsill, on her blanket, later even shimmering on her cheeks. Those touches keep the mystery alive without insisting on one interpretation, and that restraint gives the book more depth than a simpler fantasy would have had.
I also found the book interesting in the way it holds imagination and inquiry together rather than setting them at war. Aylin doesn’t become interested in space instead of believing in wonder. She becomes interested in space because of wonder. I loved that she goes to the library, learns constellations, saves for a telescope over months, and arrives at the observatory with actual written questions, only to be shut down when she asks the one question that matters most to her. I think the writing is strongest when it is simple and luminous. It leaves room for the wonderful full-page illustrations and for the book’s central idea, which is lovely and unexpectedly mature: some people are starry-eyed not because they reject reality, but because they notice more of it.
A Stargazer offers young readers a defense of curiosity, solitude, and the fragile dignity of a child who knows what she saw, whether or not anyone else believes her. I’d recommend it for reflective children, for adults reading with sensitive or imaginative kids, and for anyone who’s ever felt both thrilled and lonely in the face of mystery. This is the kind of picture book that leaves you glowing.
Pages: 42 | ISBN : 978-9528202325
