Editorial Review

Baby bat Stellaluna's life is flitting along right on schedule--untilan owl attacks her mother one night, knocking the bewildered batlet out of her mother's loving grasp. The tiny bat is lucky enough to land in a nest of baby birds, but her whole world has just turned upside down. Literally. Stellaluna's adoptive bird mom accepts her into her nest, but only on the condition that Stellaluna will act like a bird, not a bat. Soon Stellaluna has learned to behave like a good bird should--she quits hanging by her feet and starts eating bugs. But when she finally has an opportunity to show her bird siblings what life as a bat is like, all of them are confounded. "How can we be so different and feel so much alike?" one asks. "And how can we feel so different and be so much alike?" asks another. "I agree," Stellaluna responds. "But we're friends. And that's a fact." Anyone who has ever been asked to be someone they're not will understand the conflicts--and possibilities--Stellaluna faces. This gorgeously illustrated book is sure to be an all-time favorite with readers, whether they've left the nest or not. (Click to see a sample spread. Illustration from Read more

Reviews (86)

Friendship is the Compromise of Differences
This is the story of a baby fruit bat, also known as the "flying fox", named Stellaluna who fell off of her mother's belly during an assault on them by an owl, who is bats' natural enemy, as they flew in the night sky. Stellaluna, whose weak wings not being ready to fly yet, finds herself in a bird's nest among chicks. And a beautiful friendship begins as Stellakuna assumes the role of a "good bird" and becomes a member of the family. Soon nature makes them realize how different Stellaluna is from the other birds. Ultimately friendship proves to be the strongest force of nature.

This is how much I love Jannell Cannon books...
I bought Stellaluna even before I had a child! I absolutely fell in love not only with the story and message the book conveyed, but also the wonderful and endearing artwork. I have since had a child and purchased all of her books, the latest one being Pinduli. It is the perfect follow-up to her other books.
A Tale of Finding our Way
Beautifully illustrated, this story is filled with depth and meaning.The message this book carries is one of great sensitivity:how do we fit in with others who are "different", how do we fit in when sometimes we ourselves feel "different"? Most important, Stellaluna learns to accept and be herself:even when she is different from others.This is not necessarily an easy task at any age, and this tale can be a guide for children (and adults) finding their way to self-love.The story evokes "Zen Shorts" and "The Gift of You, The Gift of Me," two other picture books that are also beacons of light for finding our way, and also both beautifully illustrated, as is "Stellaluna." ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure    2. Action & Adventure - General    3. Animals - Birds    4. Animals - General    5. Bats    6. Birds    7. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks    8. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    9. Children: Grades 1-2    10. Fiction    11. Juvenile Fiction    12. Preschool Picture Story Books    13. Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Birds   

Features

• Illustrated

Reviews (1)

Excellent to teach a lesson on bats and friendship.
I use this book in my classroom during my Halloween unit and Friendship unit.The children absoluteley love it and then ask their parents to buy it.Through the book, Stellaluna shows us how bats and birds are differentand similiar.It is truely a loving story. Love It! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure    2. Action & Adventure - General    3. Animals - Birds    4. Animals - General    5. Bats    6. Birds    7. Children's 4-8 - Pop-Ups    8. Children: Grades 1-2    9. Fiction    10. Juvenile Fiction    11. Specimens    12. Toy and movable books    13. Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Birds   

Reviews (1)

Stellaluna
Almost the exact opposite story from The Ugly Duckling, Stellaluna should be in every child's library.The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous and look more like pictures than paintings or drawings.
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Reviews (1)

It's gray. It's fuzzy!
It's gray. It's fuzzy. It's cute. Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8 - Plush Toys & Animals    2. Juvenile Fiction    3. Non-Classifiable    4. Novelty    5. Toys, Dolls, & Puppets    6. Juvenile Fiction / Animals / General   

Editorial Review

What if you were a baby bat, and one fateful day you slipped from your mother's grasp and fell smack-dab into a bird's nest? This happens to little Stellaluna, and her world is literally turned upside down. This adorable, 5-inch-tall, high-quality plush bat, based on Janell Cannon's award-winning Read more

Reviews (3)

Wonderful plush Bat helps promote literacy
My daughter loves to act out the stories I read to her with the accompanying plush toys, so I read to her and the plush Stellaluna.She holds the doll to the book and has the doll asking questions, and it makes her more interested and interactive in the reading process.She LOVES it!!!

Stellaluna ISBN 059048379X
A must have for all early childhood teachers. This is a heart warming story about a baby bat who falls from her mother's grasp after they were attacked by an owl. Stellaluna falls into a bird's nest and becomes friends with the baby birds in the nest. This story teaches children everything about bats. The way they live, what they eat, and how they see at night to name a few. The story also teaches the children why they should not be afraid of bats. Especially Stellaluna, she eats fruit!This story is a classic.
An excellent companion to a great book
I enjoy using the puppet while reading this high interest book to my 2nd grade students.It is fun to have the animal to share with my kids, many of whom have never seen a bat. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8 - Plush Toys & Animals    2. Children: Preschool    3. Non-Classifiable    4. Juvenile Fiction / Animals / General