For Laika: The Dog Who Learned the Names of the Stars

Age range 3 to 9

By two of the co-authors of the acclaimed children’s book From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea: the moving and beautifully told story of Laika, the dog who learned the names of the stars.

Laika is an orphaned stray dog who lives in the streets of Moscow in the then Soviet Union. Although she is loved by her pack, Laika longs one day to learn the names of the stars, since she knows that all dogs become stars when they die - including her parents. One day, a Russian scientist named Vlad offers Laika the chance to travel to the stars by helping him with an important experiment, an event that will change the entire world.

Part fable, part dog story, part history lesson, young and older readers alike will find themselves captivated by Laika’s brave and loving heart, and by her story, which holds important lessons about world peace, science, and the deep bonds between humans and every other creature with whom we share the planet.

In author Kai Cheng Thom’s own words: ‘As an author, I’ve always had a deeply felt personal connection with the story of Laika, whose courage and tragic end have always deeply resonated with me. As a child, I was most captivated by picture books that incorporated both the magical whimsy of most children’s books with the haunting reality of the real human world - stories in picture book form about human tragedies in ways that were both beautiful and suitable for a child. I wanted to give voice to Laika, and to the powerful need that children have to see how peace can be achieved in the world - if not for humans, then for the creatures we share the planet with.