Shooting at the Stars

by John Hendrix

Shooting at the Stars is the moving story of a young British soldier on the front lines during World War I who experiences an unforgettable Christmas Eve. In a letter home to his mother, he describes how, despite fierce fighting earlier from both sides, Allied and German soldiers ceased firing and came together on the battlefield to celebrate the holiday. They sang carols, exchanged gifts, and even lit Christmas trees. But as the holiday came to a close, they returned to their separate trenches to await orders for the war to begin again.John Hendrix wonderfully brings this story to life, interweaving fact and fiction along with his detailed illustrations and hand-lettered text. His story celebrates the humanity and kindness that can persist even during the darkest periods of our history. Back matter includes a glossary, additional information about World War I and the Christmas Truce and its aftermath, and an archival photograph taken during the Truce.

Genres: Picture Books, Christmas, Historical Fiction, War, Childrens, Holiday, Historical

40 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2014

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

John Hendrix is the illustrator of Nurse, Soldier, Spy and author/illustrator of Shooting at the Stars, among others. He lives in St. Louis, Missouri.

Reviews

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cool fact I read about this year. The soldiers took turns singing carols to each other in their native languages except for "O Come Al He Faithful which they could all sing together in Latin. ⭐


Some may categorize this as just a picture book, but John Hendrix makes it more than the sum of its parts. The focus of the book is the Christmas Truce of December 25, 1914. Our narrator is a young British soldier writing to his mother about the miracle that took place that day when the opposing armies put down their guns to share a temporary truce on the day of our Lord's birth. Love the simple story with additional details as well as the varied methods used to give us the narrative. There are not very many books out there for kids about WW I--as compared to WW II. "Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood" by Nathan Hale is notable exception and is also highly recommended.

[Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good grief, this book has all the feels. I teared up multiple times, and I just pointed at the words for Kate to finish reading. Based on a true story, powerfully dramatized here.

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true story for children, about a one day Christmas truce during World War I, in 1914, initiated not by leaders at negotiating tables but by the men in the trenches, first the Germans and then the English, who met in the middle of their battlefield to celebrate Christmas. The author first gives the readers a brief explanation of the war, and at the end of the book discusses what happened after this historic one night.

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Addendum: I wrote a longer review of this book for my blog for Christmas of 2019.

Beautiful short picture book about one of the few beautiful moments in one of the twentieth century’s ugliest wars. This story moves me to tears every time I contemplate it—as with the famous Sainsbury’s commercial three years ago, which dramatized the Christmas truce for its centenary.

This book elegantly retells the truce from the point of view of one teenaged English tommy. The pictures are excellent (trying not to keep repeating the adjective beautiful) and make you feel the cold and misery of a trench in the British sector as well as the warmth, peace, and joy of the truce itself.

It’s clear the author has done his research, which means a lot in a book like this. A succinct introduction sets the stage, and a short note on the sad aftermath of the truce—in which, for the rest of the war, nationalism and militarism successfully suppressed the peace that comes with remembering Christ’s birth—concludes the book.

A good introduction to an interesting and inspiring moment in an important era. Kids and adults could both benefit from reading this—there’s lots to learn, whether about the particulars of the war, the truce itself, or the larger significance of both.

Highly recommended.

Pax in terra, merry Christmas, and fröhliche Weihnachten.

[Brindi Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 quite a lovely way of sharing this true story with children

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

"For one glorious Christmas morning, war had taken a holiday."

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this fictionalized account of the famous Christmas Truce of 1914 does an excellent job of summarizing for kids not only the background of World War I but some of the moral and philosophical issues of war.

Charlie is a young British soldier who writes home to his mom to tell her about the impromptu truce and Christmas celebration that day between British and German soldiers. On that day, the soldiers entrenched along the French-Belgian border met in the center of “No Man’s Land” between the two armies. They each buried their dead, and then found themselves wishing each other Merry Christmas. Before long, they were exchanging food and gifts.

They even started playing a game of football with an empty biscuit tin as the ball. [An actual match was played between the 133rd Royal Saxon Regiment of Germany and Scottish troops, with the Germans winning the match 3 to 2.]

At the end of the day the Major appeared and was furious at the men, ordering them to be ready to fire on the German trenches when he returned. Charlie writes his mother:

"…I suspect our side will spend the rest of the night aiming high above their trench, shooting at the stars.”

The book concludes with an Author’s Note, glossary, bibliography, and even an index, highly unusual in a picture book.

The author, who is also the illustrator (and one with many, many awards), has create a hybrid of children’s book and graphic novel, which will appeal to the older group of children to whom this book is directed (the recommended age group is 8–12). The epistolary style also contributes to the graphic-novel feel. The text mixes hand-lettering with standard text blocks, and the palette switches from luminous nighttime scenes done in blues, aquas and teals to more trench-and mud-appropriate colors for the daytime scenes.

Evaluation: This is an excellent book that will show kids the “human” side of war, and help raise up many discussion questions about war generally.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

A vivid and powerful reminder of what really matters, not just at Christmas, but all throughout the year. That it is people that are important and forefront to everything else. Not wars; or to bring it even closer to home, nor things or schedules, or getting Christmas dinner just so, or scrambling to the front of the theater though you had to bump a few people to do so - none of it is worth it if through our stress, or busyness or frustration it causes us to jeopardize our relationships. If soldiers can lay down arms, we can smile at the post office worker after standing twenty-five minutes in line, or say hello to the cashier at the crowded grocery store, ask a stranger how they're enjoying their holiday and laugh with our children though it will set dinner on the table late.

This book captures a wonderful moment in history.

Ages: 8 - 12

Cleanliness: nothing to note.

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[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book! It gives the factual account of the "Christmas truce" that spontaneously occurred in 1914. German and Allied troops in the trenches on the battlefield in France celebrated Christmas by calling an unofficial truce for the day. Enemy soldiers met in "no man's land" and exchanged food rations and played games and talked. Commanding officers were not pleased and fighting resumed as normal the next morning. Reportedly, soldiers fired not at each other, but "at the stars" the next day.

This would be an excellent read-aloud for a middle school of high school history class studying "The Great War" as it was called at the time. It could promote interesting discussion about the causes of war and what it means to the average soldier.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent true story and would be great to use in upper KS2 at Christmas. It's about the English and the German soldiers coming together in World War One on Christmas Day for a day of peace with no fighting. It depicts the coming together of enemies brilliantly and the illustrations add to the setting and atmosphere of the story. It has clear links to history but it would also be great to use in English as it is told through a letter from a soldier to his mother back home, the wide vocabulary would be great to encourage children to use to improve their writing. They could write a letter as either a soldier or an evacuee back home at Christmas, or for a more modern approach, they could write a letter to someone they love for Christmas. I think this is a great book which should be used in UKS2 classrooms.

[orangerful · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had heard this story before, but Hendrix's illustrations brought it to life. I love the way the text of 'Silent Night' gently slides over no-man's land, you can almost hear the men singing. Another great book to hand to a Nathan Hale fan.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

We don’t talk or learn too much about the First World War here in the US. We weren’t involved until the last year, and American lives lost were a fraction of the lives lost in Europe. It wasn’t really until I was an adult that I began to understand how horrific that war was, and how the effects of it rippled through the world.

This is a fictional retelling (through one young man’s letter to his mother) about the Christmas Truce of 1914. The book has a certain sweetness, but it’s also very direct in how it talks about the war: that it was useless, avoidable, and destroyed “an entire European generation.” A lot of emphasis is put on the fact that the men doing the actual fighting on both sides were regular laypeople, motivated by patriotism but ultimately mired in a conflict that just wouldn’t end. I really enjoyed this and I think it’s a great intro to the topic for elementary school kids.

[Katriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love this.
❤❤❤❤

[Matthew Manchester · Rating 3 out of 5]

Literally the war on Christmas. 😂

Doctor Who did it better.

Three stars.

[Lara Lleverino · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this to my 9-10 year old literature class today during their Christmas Party and they were riveted!

[Mallory · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely holiday reminder that it's pretty hard to have a war with someone once you've gotten to know them a little.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

The year is 1818. In a small parish church in Oberndorf, Austria at the evening mass on December 24th, a new song, sung by the writer and composer, is heard for the first time. They are accompanied by a single guitar and the choir. Assistant Father Joseph Mohr had penned the six stanzas in 1816. Local school teacher and organist, Franz Xaver Gruber, from the nearby town of Arnsdorf had been asked to write the music that very day. Silent Night, Holy Night is the song.

Over the years whenever I've heard this music, I've immediately thought of my mom. It was her favorite Christmas hymn. After reading John Hendrix's new title released yesterday, Shooting at the Stars: The Christmas Truce of 1914 (Abrams Books For Young Readers) this melody has new meaning. It began an unprecedented event.

My full recommendation: http://librariansquest.blogspot.com/2...

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book to introduce the realities of war, as well as its pointlessness, to my son, who says that war is just plain stupid. Shooting at the Stars reimagines what it might have been like during World War I, when soldiers were bogged down in trench warfare, and the Christmas holiday approached. For one day, and one day only, the fighting stopped and the soldiers had a short truce as the Christmas Spirit touched the hearts of men on both opposing sides. It's told through an imagined letter home from a soldier to his mother. The book doesn't shy away from some of the unpleasant realities of trench warfare. The combination of text within the illustrations works very well.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moved me to tears. We must be continually reminded that most soldiers are ordinary people who are trying to serve their respective countries, not power-mad megalomaniacs or greedy tyrants. Often they're even conscripts, risking their lives for causes they don't even agree with.

This book shows that very well, imo, in the fictionalized depiction of the Christimas Truce of 1914. Non-fiction frames the story. The book is not for little ones.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this to some kids in my son's class before Christmas. Fortunately I didn't have time to finish it in one sitting, & had to finish it in the afternoon. If I had to read it in one go I probably would have begun crying. Beautiful story, very well-told & appropriate for youngsters. Great illustrations.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent picture book about the World War I Christmas truce of 1914. Don't miss the author's note at the end.

[Hapzydeco · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delight. Based on actual event, Hendrix juxtaposes the horror of war with the peace and joy of Christmas time.

[Bill]

Jane Addams Honor - Younger Children

[lizzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

this should be required christmas reading.

[Tanya Knepp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful.

[Stephanie Chiaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved, loved, LOVED this book! The book told of a young, English soldier, during World War I, who wrote to his mother, in the form of letters, about Christmas in a war zone. The young soldier described what most people would have considered to be impossible, "when war had taken a holiday," meaning how two sides, the Germans and the English, although fighting against each other, laid down their weapons to celebrate one day, a day they can postpone their long, grueling efforts of fighting and weather conditions to be merry and bright. I loved how this is a true story. It makes this book so much more impactful. To be able to take a day, where your husbands, sons, brothers, fathers, soldiers, are cold, wet, and hungry, have been fighting for months, are scared to literally let their guard down, who can't sleep because of the uncomfortable conditions, who are unprotected from the elements, must have been monumental for them. There are no vacations in war and it seems impossible that two sets of armies could lay down their weapons and actually enjoy spending time together. We are one great world, aren't we?
This is a good children's book to read aloud in a classroom. It introduces the idea of religious holidays but it does not push any one religion over another. In fact, the main concept here is that two sides come together to celebrate one, which seems like it would work in a classroom full of diverse cultures.

[Isaac Blevins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taking one of history's most moving stories of humanity as his subject, John Hendrix has created a complex, memorable, and ultimately gorgeous picture book. This is the sort of book that reminds us that picture books aren't just for primary grades. Taking the form of a letter home from a British soldier, the text pulls no punches in its description of the battle field. When the soldiers join together in the Christmas truce, the first thing they do is help one another bury the bodies of the dead. This does not mean, however that this is a grim book or a violent one - it is, instead, one that urges us to stop and ponder the capacity for understanding we all possess.
Hendrix' illustrations are rich and full of life and movement. His use of text and color sweep us into the story and when I looked across the no man's land and saw the German soldiers' Christmas trees I found myself stopping just as the young protagonist does...to let it soak in. I look forward to more of these historical picture books from John Hendrix - they keep getting better and better!

[Andy Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

A soldier's perspective of the Christmas truce from World War 1. The book makes you think about the different perspectives between politicians, officers, and soldiers in war. You wonder what it is that causes war. Trench warfare seems so sad. The author seems to blame the war on political alliances that were stirred by seemingly small actions. I'm not familiar enough with the history of the war to know for certain, but I think there were probably some pretty serious issues with what some of the countries were doing and trying to do. So I appreciated the perspective the book presented as it takes the events out of the glossy history books that discuss principles and causes, and puts the events in the perspective of an individual (although that individual would probably also have principles and a belief about causes as well, but that is not really presented). Interesting, but not complete.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

As much as I appreciate the way author John Hendrix put his words together in a descriptive manner and his use of figurative and sensory language, it is his illustrations that make my heart sing! What a combination of the art and the words in this story of the very real but temporary truce between German and British troops for one all too brief day. It was Christmas of 1914, the war was raging and showed no signs of ending but for a few men, it was a time of singing carols, taking photos, exchanging souvenirs and, sadly, burying their dead without fear of bullets whizzing overhead. Front and back matter elaborate on the so-called “Great” War (now called World War II) but little time is spent on causes, more then devastation and the ability of the troops to see beyond their nations’ intentions for a short time.

Excellent non-fiction picture book, likely best for grades 2-5 and shelved in the 900s or a war section rather than in picture books.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even before I opened this book, I knew the basics of this story:

During World War I, somehow, the British and German soldiers agreed on a Christmas truce. They met together, sang together and lit Christmas trees. Afterward they returned to their trenches, back to fighting for their side during the war.

BESIDES BEING A HISTORICAL PICTURE BOOK

It's epistolary. Told in the words of one of the British soldiers, writing letters home to his mother.

The Germans! Our enemy was singing?

Not only were they singing as loud as they could -- it sounded like "Silent Night"-- but all along their line, tiny Christmas trees lit withy candles and lanterns had appeared.

FIVE STARS for an excellent recounting, beautifully illustrated. It's a story of man's HUMANITY to man. And the illustrations (like the text, also by John Hendrix) also are lovely.