Gillian Reads: My Lucky Star by Cheryl Olsten – Children's Picture Book Review

gillianyoung
21 hours ago
4 min read

Woman reading "My Lucky Star" to two dogs in a sunlit forest. The book cover shows a horse and stars, creating a magical scene.

As both a writer and a reader, I’m always drawn to stories that carry a quiet kind of magic. My Lucky Star by Cheryl Olsten is one such story, offering a beautifully imaginative journey that will capture the hearts of young readers and those reading alongside them.

Woman with long hair sits on a wooden chair against a light background, wearing a patterned top. A red blanket is draped on the chair. — Cheryl Olsten

AUTHOR BIO

Cheryl Olsten is an American author of beautifully crafted picture books that blend imagination, empathy, and kind life lessons. Her stories celebrate courage, kindness, and perseverance, values that inspire both children and adults to dream big and believe in happy endings. Her stories explore timeless themes—courage, kindness, creativity, and the power of never giving up—told with warmth and a touch of wonder. Her books are cherished by parents, teachers, and librarians alike for the way they make learning joyful and storytelling meaningful. Cheryl is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, the Independent Book Publishers Association, and the Alliance of Independent Authors. Beyond her writing desk, Cheryl cherishes time with her grandchildren and horses, loves to cook, and enjoys being outdoors, where quiet moments give rise to future tales.

Website: https://cherylolsten.com

https://www.instagram.com/cherylolsten

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063556809826

A child in blue pajamas pets a brown horse under a starry sky with colorful clouds. Text: "My Lucky Star" by Cheryl Olsten, art by Paolo d'Altan. — My Lucky Star, by Cheryl Olsten.

BOOKBLURB

My Lucky Star is a heartfelt tale that celebrates the unbreakable bond between a young girl and her little horse as they set out on an extraordinary adventure. With courage in their hearts and stardust in their wake, they take to the skies, soaring into the wild blue yonder where imagination and wonder know no bounds.

Guided by the shimmering constellation Pegasus, the pair travels through a celestial landscape filled with magic and possibility. Along the way, they discover that dreams can carry you farther than you ever imagined—and that true friendship can light the way to the stars.

MY REVIEW

My Lucky Star follows on from Big Wishes for Little Feat, the debut picture book by Cheryl Olsten.

Ella’s parents have fallen on hard times and send her to stay with her Great-Aunt Anastasia in Belgium. There, she befriends a horse called Lafitte—whom she affectionately calls Feat. A beautiful horse, yet sadly too small to fulfil the expectations of his pedigree in the show ring… but Feat is no ordinary horse—he can fly.

Together, Ella and Lafitte embark on an adventure to enter a derby in Germany, where the prize money could help Ella’s family. Determined to make a difference, Ella sets her heart on competing—but their journey doesn’t go entirely to plan, even under the watchful eye of the magnificent constellation Pegasus, the great winged horse.

This is a lovely story, full of love, courage, and hope. The illustrations by Paolo d’Altan are beautiful and complement the narrative perfectly, bringing Ella and Lafitte’s journey vividly to life. Cheryl Olsten weaves a wonderful tale of friendship and perseverance—a partnership that would make a fantastic series for young readers.

My Lucky Star is a book that works beautifully as a read-aloud, and also for young independent readers. It’s a warm and uplifting story that carries the reader on a truly magical journey from start to finish.

Thank you to LiterallyPR and Cheryl Olsten for gifting me this lovely book in exchange for my honest review.

COMING UP NEXT...

My next stop on an online book review tour will be on 15th May, when I’ll be sharing my thoughts on the children’s picture book Punctuation to the Rescue by Cheryl Olsten, illustrated by Sara Not. Here’s the blurb to give you a little taster…

"A modern-day fable that takes you on a rollicking adventure full of surprises. Exclamation Mark takes the lead, with pals Comma, Full Stop and Question Mark.

Exclamation Mark is exasperated by how hard it is to do their job when they are so misused. The only way to get their 'point' across is to leave! They decide that a sailing trip would be just the solution. Fresh sea air, new horizons to explore. Off to the Island of Fun they go ... until their sea voyage takes an unexpected turn."

An open book with a quill pen; words like "imagination" and "dream" swirl above. Vintage paper background, inspiring and creative mood. — Work in Progress Update.

WIP UPDATE.

The next book in the Crazy Cream Adventure series is taking shape, and all thanks to a young boy at a school in Dudley in the West Midlands. While Poppy and I were visiting the school, he gave me a drawing of Poppy and a character he had come up with for a new story idea. I was so touched by this that I sat and looked at his drawing, and slowly a new story unfolded. The plot structure and chapter outline are now finished, and soon, I shall begin the first draft, followed by the drawings. I already have some ideas for the illustrations, I just need Poppy and Devon to model for me long enough so that I can finish drawing them!

Thank you for joining me today, and until my next blog -

Happy reading!