Star: The Bird Who Inspired Mozart

Illustrated by Matte Stephens
Look inside
A chance encounter with a starling inspires Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in this picture book based on a true story.

Star: The Bird Who Inspired Mozart is based on the true story of how Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, one of the world's most remarkable musicians, was inspired by one of the world's most unremarkable birds: a starling.
 
In this charming picture book, author Mireille Messier tells the story of a very special relationship and how it began: with a chance musical encounter. And Matte Stephens's playful art captures both the grandeur of 18th century Vienna and the budding unlikely friendship between a famous musician and a humble starling.
MIREILLE MESSIER is a Montreal-born, Ottawa-raised and now Toronto-based author, freelance writer and voice-over artist. She has published over twenty children's books, including The Branch, which was nominated for a Governor General's Award, and Sergeant Billy, winner of the Rocky Mountain Book Award, the Shining Willow Award and the Christopher Book Award. She has written for youth magazines and has collaborated in the production of many family programs and interactive apps for CBC, TVO/TFO and Teletoon. View titles by Mireille Messier
MATTE STEPHENS is a painter, illustrator and object maker. His work has been shown in galleries from New York to Seattle, and he has illustrated several children’s books including Mr. Flux by Kyo Maclear and Tigers and Tea with Toppy by Barbara Kerley and Rhoda Knight Kalt. Matte lives in Peterborough, New Hampshire, with his wife Vivienne and their pets Polly, Irving, Henry and Mr. Charlie. View titles by Matte Stephens
"[A]n endearing piece of historical fiction, and perhaps an early entry point into Mozart’s oeuvre." School Library Journal

"Messier’s Vienna burbles with German-language sounds, including a cat’s “miau” and a townsperson’s “Guten morgen,” providing opportunities for readers to imitate along with the starling. Stephens renders high-contrast illustrations using unlined shapes to create simple, blocky figures portrayed with fanciful skin tones in whimsically off-kilter cityscapes." Publishers Weekly

"In this historical fiction, Messier provides child readers with a chance to learn about this interesting and fun encounter in Mozart’s life, sparking curiosity. . . . Highly recommended." CM Reviews

About

A chance encounter with a starling inspires Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in this picture book based on a true story.

Star: The Bird Who Inspired Mozart is based on the true story of how Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, one of the world's most remarkable musicians, was inspired by one of the world's most unremarkable birds: a starling.
 
In this charming picture book, author Mireille Messier tells the story of a very special relationship and how it began: with a chance musical encounter. And Matte Stephens's playful art captures both the grandeur of 18th century Vienna and the budding unlikely friendship between a famous musician and a humble starling.

Author

MIREILLE MESSIER is a Montreal-born, Ottawa-raised and now Toronto-based author, freelance writer and voice-over artist. She has published over twenty children's books, including The Branch, which was nominated for a Governor General's Award, and Sergeant Billy, winner of the Rocky Mountain Book Award, the Shining Willow Award and the Christopher Book Award. She has written for youth magazines and has collaborated in the production of many family programs and interactive apps for CBC, TVO/TFO and Teletoon. View titles by Mireille Messier
MATTE STEPHENS is a painter, illustrator and object maker. His work has been shown in galleries from New York to Seattle, and he has illustrated several children’s books including Mr. Flux by Kyo Maclear and Tigers and Tea with Toppy by Barbara Kerley and Rhoda Knight Kalt. Matte lives in Peterborough, New Hampshire, with his wife Vivienne and their pets Polly, Irving, Henry and Mr. Charlie. View titles by Matte Stephens

Praise

"[A]n endearing piece of historical fiction, and perhaps an early entry point into Mozart’s oeuvre." School Library Journal

"Messier’s Vienna burbles with German-language sounds, including a cat’s “miau” and a townsperson’s “Guten morgen,” providing opportunities for readers to imitate along with the starling. Stephens renders high-contrast illustrations using unlined shapes to create simple, blocky figures portrayed with fanciful skin tones in whimsically off-kilter cityscapes." Publishers Weekly

"In this historical fiction, Messier provides child readers with a chance to learn about this interesting and fun encounter in Mozart’s life, sparking curiosity. . . . Highly recommended." CM Reviews

2024 Elementary School Collection

The Penguin Random House Education Elementary School Collection features outstanding fiction, nonfiction, and picture books from Penguin Young Reader’s, Random House Children’s, DK, and Grupo Editorial, as well as children’s publishers distributed by Penguin Random House. Explore online or download this valuable resource to discover great books in specific topic areas such as: Leveled Readers,

Read more

DK Learning Phonic Books Sampler Request

Thank you for your interest in DK Learning | Phonic Books. To download the DK Learning | Phonic Books sampler with four complete readers, please click here and complete the form. Once your information is successfully submitted, a link to download the sampler will be provided on the confirmation screen.   Click here to learn

Read more

PRH Education Translanguaging Collections

Translanguaging is a communicative practice of bilinguals and multilinguals, that is, it is a practice whereby bilinguals and multilinguals use their entire linguistic repertoire to communicate and make meaning (García, 2009; García, Ibarra Johnson, & Seltzer, 2017)   It is through that lens that we have partnered with teacher educators and bilingual education experts, Drs.

Read more

PRH Education Classroom Libraries

“Books are a students’ passport to entering and actively participating in a global society with the empathy, compassion, and knowledge it takes to become the problem solvers the world needs.” –Laura Robb   Research shows that reading and literacy directly impacts students’ academic success and personal growth. To help promote the importance of daily independent

Read more