you're safe with me + paper star craft

You’re Safe With Me by Chitra Soundar & Poonam Mistry (2018).

This picture book is the story of baby animals in the forest, afraid of the startling sights and sounds of the night, wind, and rain. And it’s the story of Mama Elephant who comforts them, telling them the ways the elements that appear scary are actually necessary—natural parts of the world that deliver good, wondrous things too.

“You’re safe with me,” Mama Elephant says again and again, as comforting as any lullaby. That refrain, and all her stories of the world around them, put the animals peacefully right to sleep.

(click image(s) to enlarge)

This story is blanketed by the most beautiful illustrations by Poonam Mistry. The dance of dark and light, the glow of gold—this exquisite art dives into each element being explored by Mama Elephant. From her website, Mistry says the following about her work:

“My style incorporates my love of nature and explores the relationships between pattern, shapes and colour creating beautifully intricate illustrations.

Being brought up surrounded by Indian fabrics, paintings and ornaments have heavily influenced my work.”

—Poonam Mistry

“You’re Safe With Me was inspired by the rich oral storytelling tradition I grew up [in]. My grandmother and her sister told me stories from Hindu epics and my mother made up stories whenever I asked for a new one.

I visualised Mama Elephant as a storyteller who tells a little story for each of the elements of the thunderstorm to help the little animals deal with their fear, and at the same time reassures them that she’s there to look after [them] no matter what.

And that to me is the role of a storyteller too – they guide us through dangerous imagined worlds, all the while holding our hands.”

—Chitra Soundar

You’re Safe With Me is a book for soothing a little one to sleep, a book for embracing the natural world in new ways, a book for cherishing our loved ones who make us feel safe in any storm.

Big thanks to Lantana Publishing for the review copy and images, and to Poonam and Chitra!

The illustrator herself, Poonam Mistry, has designed a corresponding craft for You’re Safe With Me!

Mirroring her intricate artwork in the book, she’s here to show us how to make our very own paper stars! And she’s got printable templates too.

Over to Poonam!

What you’ll need:

The printed templates [find links to both here and here]:

Coloured card or paper

Glue

Scissors

A pencil

Gel pens, felt tips or pencil colours

Optional – foil and a permanent marker to draw on the foil

String to hang it

Print and cut out the templates using the scissors. (Templates found here and here.) Trace around these on the coloured card or paper using a pencil. It is best to use 2/3 colours.

Cut around these and stick together in order using glue (3 should be on top with 1 at the bottom).

Add triangles or circles on the points of the star using pencil colours, felt tips of pencil colours. I used a gold gel pen in this example.

Cut out smaller shapes in coloured card/paper and glue these to add more patterns. Triangles work best. You could add foil shapes if you wanted to make your star sparkle.

Add the last patterns and details on top drawing geometric shapes and spirals.

Finally, Put a hole through one point of the star. Thread the string through it and tie a knot at the ends to hang it.