Who Hid the Stars?: How Light Pollution Changes Our World

Illustrated by Valentina Gottardi

“Today, the Milky Way—our home galaxy—is no longer visible to one in three people on Earth. The glow of artificial light has not only dimmed the night sky but also disrupted life below.”

Who Hid the Stars: How Light Pollution Changes Our World is a nonfiction picturebook that introduces how artificial lights are created and examines their impacts on animals, insects, and plants. It begins by tracing the history of artificial light, from early forms of fire—torches, lanterns, and oil lamps—to modern electric lighting. It explains how humans influence other species’ lives through the widespread use of electric lights, affecting both urban areas and wild habitats. The book then introduces birds’ lives in cities, exploring how they are affected in terms of migration, daily cycles, and living conditions. This is followed by an examination of how artificial lights create difficulties for insects, mammals, and ocean creatures in finding food or hiding from predators. Alongside these discussions, the book includes information about specific species, such as how fireflies emit signals and the structure of bats’ wings. Finally, individual solutions are provided, along with a glossary and suggestions for further study.

Who Hid the Stars offers an ecocritical perspective on how species adapt to altered environments in the Anthropocene and highlights the interconnectedness between humans and other beings. Notably, it does not depict birds merely as victims but as beings with agency—capable of adapting to changing environments, choosing streetlamp posts as nesting sites, or coexisting with humans in cities. Although the subsequent sections on insects and other mammals focus more on how lights negatively affect them, the book also provides supplementary information about these species. By helping students understand how these creatures live, the book can spark interest and foster emotional connections that may motivate them to improve environmental awareness. Lastly, the book offers only individual solutions rather than community or systemic ones; however, teachers can use this as an opportunity to broaden classroom discussions. Through such dialogue, critical thinking and climate literacy can be developed. The book is a helpful introduction to light pollution, initiating a conversation about the effects of artificial lights on other living beings, with additional discussion of various species inhabiting urban environments.

©2026 ClimateLit (Alison Han)

Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2026

Audience: Ages 14+, Ages 8-13

ISBN: 9780802856517

Pages: 44

Format: Nonfiction, Picturebooks

Topics: Anthropocene, Climate Literacy, Environmental Awareness, Individual Action, Interconnectedness, Light Pollution, Solutions, Urban Environments