Stanley the Starfish has a serious problem: he doesn’t have a BACKBONE! He lives in a super cool coral reef and spends his days playing with his family and best friend, Claudio, but Stanley wants to SWIM like a shark and DIVE like a dolphin. There’s just one teeny-tiny issue: no BACKBONE! Stanley’s family think he’s being ridiculous! “Starfish don’t need backbones!” they say. But Stanley is not giving up. He pops out of the ocean and waddles off with his water bottle to find one, because how hard can it be to buy a backbone, right? Join Stanley and his new friend, Giuditta, as they visit shop after shop in search of the backbone of his dreams. Will Stanley find his backbone? Or will he discover that being a bendy little starfish is AMAZING! Sometimes it takes the kindness of a new friend to show someone how special they truly are! This delightful picture book bursts with colourful illustrations and humorous language that will have children and their grown-ups laughing out loud from start to finish. Follow Stanley and Giuditta on a heartwarming adventure that shows how brave we can be when trying something new. Along the way, Stanley discovers he doesn’t need to change a thing to shine. He was always special—he just needed to see it for himself. And sometimes it takes the kindness of a new friend to show someone how special they truly are! A joyful celebration of courage, confidence, and self-love, perfect for children aged 3 to 8.