Abigail and the Birth of the Sun

[A] story...that will not only explain the science of how the world began, but will deliver it with the poignancy and beauty of a fairy tale.

Susannah Whaley, NZ Booklovers

Abigail and the Birth of the Sun is, at its heart, about showing children just how fundamentally connected everything down here is to everything up there. We are, as Abigail’s daddy explains to her, all made of stardust.

Ronnie Swainston, Kidspot

I love that Abigail’s dad is not too busy or distracted to answer her question in depth – in an ideal world we’d all be this type of caring adult more often. It’s a little message tucked away in the text for the adults – 'be like Abigail’s dad'. With a world of information quite literally available at our fingertips, our standard response shouldn’t be 'I don’t know', but 'Let’s find out!' And with the promise of further books explaining big concepts to come, Matthew Cunningham books may become just as easy to reach for as a Google search. The illustrations by Sarah Wilkins are lovely – clear, colourful and intricate. These are the sorts of illustrations that are crying out for an adult with an available lap, so a child can look closely and find all the little details. I highly recommend Abigail and the Birth of the Sun for children aged 5 and up.

Rachel Moore, The Sapling

In this delightful book, young Abigail has a big question for her father: where did the sun and the planets come from? His reply: "From stardust, Abigail. Just like you." He goes on to explain in clear, child-friendly terms how a large star exploded and its stardust came to form stars, meteors, comets and planets — and everything on Earth, including us. Sarah Wilkins' spectacular illustrations bring this to life in the most glorious way, conveying the wonder and beauty of the Earth and of space beyond. Highly recommended.

Otago Daily Times

Inquisitive minds – and grateful adults – will love Abigail and the Birth of the Sun by Matthew Cunningham and Sarah Wilkins. It’s astrophysics explained, with glorious illustrations to boot.

Stacey Anyan, North and South

This book ticks all the boxes for a great picture book. Abigail is a very real and relatable character: children will be able to see themselves in her, and adults will recognise her. Her curiosity is what drives the story, and is formed in a magical question of possibility. Her father tenderly cradles this curiosity, creating a beautiful narrative answer to her big question that is part magic, part science. The language is evocative and poetic at times, and yet still packed with facts. The illustrations support this gentle yet fantastical approach, with bold colours and big skyscapes combined with little touches like the ever-present family cat, and the astronaut teddy bear.

Judges, New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults

...it’s a simple, sweet story about an old star and a girl who can’t sleep and it has lovely relatable lines like: “Then, all of a sudden, she felt a rumbling from deep within her chest … at first it was a little rumble, like a kitten purring. But soon her chest was roaring like a thunderstorm.” Every word scans. The narrative takes a pleasing, easy orbit and the illustrations are magic-garden gorgeous.

The Spinoff Review of Books