When Human Eyes Are Absent

In winter, their presence is easily noticed.  New snow is patterned with paths made by their prints.  They burrow and scoop out shelter under and among landscaping to stay warm during the chilly nights.  They dine on any available edible.

For the most part, they move in silence in any season when humans are tucked inside their homes asleep.  What they do after their essential needs are met is not as easily identified.  The impressions left in the snow, mud or dirt, sometimes indicate playful antics.  The Midnight Fair (Candlewick Press, February 2, 2021) written (conceived) by Gideon Sterer with illustrations by Mariachiara Di Giorgio is a marvelous wordless story of an extraordinary nighttime adventures of forest animals.  

As clouds gather and sunset casts a golden glow, a caravan rolls into a large meadow bordered by woodlands.  Behind the trees and tall grass, animals gather and watch.  The rides and concession stands are quickly assembled.  In darkness lights, loud noises, and laughter fill the air.  From the shadows, the animals still watch.

After the attendees and caretaker leave, the only light is from the glowing eyes of animals cautiously walking from the forest and entering the fair.  Clever climbing raccoons pull the main electricity lever.  The fair comes alive . . . again.

Spinning, swinging, and bumping rides are ridden, confections and snacks are consumed, and games are played and won.  Music floats up, down, and around.  Not a word is spoken, but every creature is finding fun.

All too soon, the sky in the east lightens, proclaiming the upcoming sunrise.  At the fair, the excitement lessens, and clean-up begins.  At home, the caretaker gets ready for his day, arriving as others slip away.  In the softness of dawn, there are suspicious surprises for the caretaker, and rejoicing and much-needed rest for the animals of the forest.  This tale has one, wonderful final twist. 

As the narrative unfolds author Gideon Sterer takes readers slowly from curiosity to cunning, and then to sustained elation until the break of dawn.  In this story, we shed what we think we know about animals, replacing it with an enormous imaginative leap.  The manner in which Gideon Sterer presents the events during this midnight magic resonates universally.  It reaches all readers; for who among us has not been enchanted by the dream of one transformative night?

This book with these images created by Mariachiara Di Giorgio is to be savored over and over, pausing to study each one.  Look carefully at the front, right, of the matching dust jacket and book case.  The starry constellations, outlines of buildings, tents, and rides at the fair, in the background have formed an enchanting place.  The music from the carousel floats out into the night air as animals from the forest ride and watch.  Who wouldn't want to be there with them? (The outlines, title text and entire carousel display are varnished on the front.)

To the left, on the back, the pinpoint outlines continue as a full moon peeks out from behind a tree on the left.  Silhouettes of animals in a line stretch from the TICKETS booth, as a resident wild canine accepts payment.  The opening and closing endpapers figure prominently in the pictorial interpretation of this story.  On the first set the open meadow is filling with the caravan of trucks each carrying fair equipment.  Behind a row of trees and grass in the foreground animals watch.  The final set of endpapers has the same illustration except now the meadow is nearly empty and only a portion of one trailer is visible, vanishing on the left.

The artwork for this book was rendered

in watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil.

These mediums portray a realm in eloquent detail, textured and inviting.  The double page illustration for the verso and title pages continues the story with the setup of the fair as the animals gaze at the activity in secret.  Mariachiara Di Giorgio uses a series of panels framed in white lines to supply pacing.  Two square images might be paired with a horizontal picture on a single page or two horizontal images might be spread across two pages together, one on top of the other.  Double-page pictures provide readers with gasp-worthy scenes like when the fair, now back to life, is spread before the animals as they enter or when we look down on animals spinning in saucers.  Every element in these visuals is worthy of study, humor is highly evident.  You'll note the raccoons working to turn on the main switch, the method of payment used by the animals, the porcupine with sweet treats stuck to its quills, and the animals riding the roller coaster, arms in the air as it cascades down.

There is also a story within the story here.  Without disclosing too much, careful readers will watch as a wolf wins a particular prize at the ring toss.  We see him throughout the illustrations, still holding his reward.  Remember when it was mentioned we need to suspend what we think we know about animals?  

One of my many, many favorite pictures is when the animals are watching humans at the fair on this opening night.  In the bright, but muted, lights the midway spreads across two pages.  In much darker colors, shadows, leaves, berries and seeds border the top and the right side in the foreground.  On the right a raccoon is gathering branches and stems, pinecones, and mushrooms.  From the left side a bear is watching.  Next to the bear are two rabbits (hares) with only their ears visible from the bottom of the page.  They are all waiting.  These animals are very close to the reader.

In case you have ever wondered what wild animals do when humans are not present, this book, The Midnight Fair written (conceived) by Gideon Sterer with artwork by Mariachiara Di Giorgio, is a gorgeous window into possibility.  This story and every illustration ask readers to participate and enjoy each moment.  You will want to have this breathtaking, inventive book in your professional collections as well as on your personal bookshelves.  This title is one you will want to share often, gifting it so others can find joy in its magic.

To learn more about Gideon Sterer and Mariachiara Di Giorgio, please follow the link attached to their names to access their respective websites.  Gideon Sterer has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Mariachiara Di Giorgio has an account on Facebook.  This book is featured at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast by author, reviewer, and blogger Julie Danielson.  Mariachiara Di Giorgio is highlighted at Let's Talk Picture Books in a 2017 interview by Mel Schuit.

Stepping Outside Into The Gathering Dark

Humans tend to shelter inside at day's end.  Some activities are better enjoyed and accomplished within their homes.  If we should venture outside, a whole new world greets us.  In the absence of light, shadows rule, creating new forms.  Our senses of hearing and smelling are heightened.

When homes are passed during our exploration of the world at night, we see scenes inside them rarely observed during daylight hours.  It's as if we have stepped into a magical realm.  Night Walk (Groundwood Books House of Anansi Press, September 29, 2020) written by Sara O'Leary with illustrations by Ellie Arscott is an enchanting excursion through a neighborhood during the evening hours.

The time was long past when I should have been

dreaming, but I lay in my bed, owl-eyed and awake.

With the special sense parents have, her dad realized she was still awake.  He suggested they take a walk.  The little girl's other siblings and mother were content, so it was only she and her dad sharing this adventure.

The girl and her father moved down the sidewalk between the dark and light cast by streetlamps.  All the windows glowed in some homes.  Other residences had one lamp shimmering in the darkness.

People she knew acted differently when she saw them in their homes.  People she didn't know were celebrating an event special to them alone.  She was pleasantly surprised how many people were awake when she was normally asleep.

Her dad explained about growing up in the country with houses far apart.  Seeing these homes with her on this night was different for him.  For her growing up in this neighborhood was all she knew.  And that was all she needed.

Authored by Sara O'Leary, this story reads like a lullaby.  It is told through the eyes of the little girl except for two pieces of dialog by her dad.  Each sentence is a soothing observation, even before the child and her father leave the house.  Short phrases replete with childlike wisdom wrap around you in cozy comfort.  Here is a passage.

In one house a big family was eating a meal too late for supper and

too early for breakfast.  They were so happy it made me happy too.

The scenes on the right, front, and left, back, of the open and matching dust jacket and book case, invite readers into the journey with the little girl and her father.  We can feel the silence of the evening enveloping them.  We easily embrace the light given by the moon, stars, and streetlamps.  I love that we see the backs of the duo leading us into the park on the front.  To the left, a vertical rectangular image gives us a glimpse of another night walker with her dog.  The layout and design of this picture is gorgeous.

On the opening and closing endpapers is a deep midnight blue.  A loosely framed oval illustration precedes the verso and title pages.  It is a bird's-eye view of the neighborhood at night.  A closer perspective of the community, a single-page picture, is placed on the title page.  The use of light and shadow by artist Ellie Arscott is marvelous.

These illustrations rendered

in watercolor and ink pen on paper

are delicately detailed.  There is a softness, like the night, in all of them.  Ellie Arscott has included elements readers will enjoy discovering.  Will they recognize the picture books on the little girl's bed?  Do they have lights in their own bedrooms like the lights on the wall over the little brother's crib?  Do they have the same kind of shops in their neighborhood?

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is a double-page picture.  The girl and her father are standing on the sidewalk outside a corner house.  To the left of the gutter is the front of the house with an open porch and a street lined with buildings going in a perpendicular direction.  The home has several stained-glass windows on the side and a larger window.  At the back of the house is an enclosed sunroom, with floor to ceiling glass.  Lights are strung over its roof to a nearby tree.  Inside the glass room is a man playing his violin.  A white cat watches.  A dog, perched on the sofa, is howling in accompaniment.  In a touch of whimsy, the man, in addition to a plain shirt and pair of pants, is wearing pink bunny slippers.  

For those who have taken walks in the evening or for those who have not, this book rings with beautiful truth.  Night Walk written by Sara O'Leary with illustrations by Ellie Arscott is certain to inspire more shared strolls through neighborhoods.  It is guaranteed to bring peace and promote the sweetest of dreams.  I highly recommend this title for both your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Sara O'Leary and Ellie Arscott and their other work, please follow the link attached to their names to access their respective websites.  Sara O'Leary has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.  Ellie Arscott has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Debut picture book illustrator Ellie Arscott is a guest at author illustrator Debbie Ridpath Ohi's Inkygirl.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images.

For those of us with canine companions, strolls are taken at all hours of the day and night, but those after dark are particularly spellbinding.  Our partners on those walks do so with elevated senses.  They alert us to things we might not notice.  Sometimes they do this as a protective measure.  Other times, it is as if they want us to see, hear, or smell what they see, hear and smell.  Woodland Dreams (Chronicle Books, October 27, 2020) written by Karen Jameson with pictures by Marc Boutavant is an ode to forest creatures, ten in number.  It is a poetic goodnight with rich, stunning artwork for each one.

Come home, Big Paws.

Berry picker

Honey trickster

Shadows deepen in the glen.

Lumber back inside your den.

A young girl with her dog, heading home, walk through the forest.  As they pass by each of the inhabitants, words are uttered for each one.  These words welcome them to their resting place.  They describe each animal with a nickname and their prominent characteristics.

There is the swimmer with a head of antlers, a swift-moving youngster bearing spots on its fur, and a long-eared leaper that enjoys a good meal of fresh clover.

As it gets darker and darker, snow begins to fall harder and harder.  A turtle rests drawing its feet and head inside its shell.  A woodpecker seeks its last meal before snuggling inside a hole in a tree.  A squirrel scurries by the light of the moon to its nest.

There is a final poem, an eleventh nickname and four distinctive lines.  A girl and her furry friend rest as quietly as those they passed in the woods.  Of what will the creatures, the child and her dog dream tonight?

The cadence of these poems penned by Karen Jameson is as pleasing on repeat readings as the first time it is enjoyed. Readers will be captivated by the nicknames of each animal following the words

Come home

at the beginning of each poem. Lines one and two rhyme with some of the best personality or characteristic traits readers are likely to encounter.  Offering perceptions of the time of day and its conditions, the narrator encourages them to return to their respective homes in lines three and four which also rhyme.  Here is another poem.

Come home, Painted Wings.

Nectar sipper

Dizzy dipper

Stars are twinkling. Flutter. Search.

Light upon your leafy perch. 

The open and matching dust jacket and book case radiate warmth and comfort.  The chosen color palette for the images on the front and back refer to the darkness of nighttime, but the natural earth tones are welcoming. The illustration on the front, right, of the squirrel curled in slumber with gathered treasures in its nest enfolds not only the girl and her dog but us. (The treasures are varnished.)  Careful readers will notice the girl is carrying a sketchbook.  This is foreshadowing for the final two-page, wordless picture at the conclusion. 

To the left, on the back, of the jacket and case, the canvas is still black.  Autumn leaves, a sprig of pine needles, an acorn cap, and a single Queen Anne's lace flower form a ring around the girl and her dog.  They are fast asleep in her bed at home.  The child and her dog are curled around each other.

On the opening endpapers the forest is alive with life as the sky shifts into the golden yellows and pinks of sunset.  We see a startled fawn watching us in the lower portion on the left side.  On the right, higher up, a woodpecker pauses staring at us.  Among the row of tree trunks are a variety of leaves, evergreen branches, holly, and pinecones.  The closing endpapers is the same section of the forest, but the changing light gives us different insights.  There is more definition to the trees and surrounding foliage. The fawn and woodpecker are no longer present.  The sky is dark with some snowflakes falling.  In a previously empty hollow, the squirrel now sleeps.

The illustrations by Marc Boutavant are simply splendid.  Each scene gives us appreciation for another portion of the woods.  The light in the sky changes as the walk progresses.  The weather shifts too.  The girl and her dog are shown far away from the animals or closer depending on safety for all.  In each setting they may quietly wait for the animal to pass, stop as it runs away or past them, or sometimes they will pause to watch it move at its own pace.  Readers will savor the moments shared by the girl, her dog, and the animals they encounter.

There is a blend of single-page pictures and double-page visuals.  When there is a single-page image, the text is placed on the opposite page with the animal at rest.  The elements in each illustration ask us to look closely before each page turn.  How many readers will see the final sketchbook paper on the girl's bed as she and her dog sleep?

One of my many favorite pictures is a single-page image.  It is the illustrations for Velvet Nose.  In the foreground the girl is kneeling on the ground facing her dog.  The dog is seated.  She is holding his nose with one hand and her other hand with her finger pressed to her lip in a shushing gesture asks the dog to be quiet.  Behind them is an array of forest shrubs and trees filling almost all the page.  Passing through the shrubs and trees, nearly hidden, is a large moose.

For one on one or as a storytime read aloud Woodland Dreams written by Karen Jameson with pictures by Marc Boutavant is an ideal selection.  Whether you are using it for a theme about forest animals, the shift in seasons, or as a quiet or bedtime book, listeners will relish every moment.  You will want a copy of this title for your personal and professional bookshelves.

To learn more about Karen Jameson and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  The link attached to Marc Boutavant's name takes you to his agency page dedicated to his work.  Karen Jameson has accounts on Facebook and Twitter.  Marc Boutavant has an account on Instagram. Karen Jameson was recently interviewed at Lynn Becker Books Blog.

In The Darkness . . .Delight

Over the decades of having canine companions, you become accustomed to taking treks at all hours of the night in every season of the year.  In the spring, you are the first to note the sound of peepers in a nearby pond.  During summer nights, you are fortunate to find moths fluttering within the beam of light cast by your flashlight.  It's easy to startle forging rabbits or wandering deer during autumn.  The night skies with their profusion of stars in the crystal air of winter are breathtaking 

Darkness reveals its secrets to curious observers.   Night Walk to the Sea: A Story About Rachel Carson, Earth's Protector (Schwartz & Wade Books, September 15, 2020) written by Deborah Wiles with art by Daniel Miyares is based upon a blending of several true events taken from the writings of Rachel Carson.  You will find yourself easily stepping into this story, captivated by the lyrical words and atmospheric images.

It was bedtime in Rachel's cabin

in the woods,

when thunder BOOMED and

the storm roared in.

"I'm not afraid!" shouted Roger.

CRAAAAACK! the thunder answered.

Roger was hardly ready for bed acting like he was the monstrous storm.  Rachel joined him in his romping around the room.  Suddenly, the lights went out.  They were plunged into the darkest dark.  Roger still claimed to be unafraid.  This time it was not true.

After reassuring him of his safety, Rachel lighted a lantern and cuddled with him near a window so they could marvel at the storm. Roger was still not happy in the dark.  When the storm subsided, Rachel suggested they go for a walk.

Both bundled up in stormy weather gear, they set off toward the sea.  Their flashlights gave off a special glow to the woods around them.  Rachel encouraged Roger to listen, look, and learn from what he saw.  Soon they were at the shore.

Roger raced along the sand spooking birds and ghost crabs.  Shortly, Rachel whispered to him, and asked him to turn off his light and close his eyes.  When he opened them, the sea was coated in sparkling gemstone colors. This was when, looking at his feet, Roger saw another wondrous sight.  With Rachel's guidance a rescue was performed, and they returned to the cabin.  A nighttime adventure will be remembered by one little boy and many other readers, with gratitude to Earth's Protector.

Through her reading about Rachel Carson and her own love of the wonders nature holds for all of us, author Deborah Wiles again demonstrates her masterful ability to glean treasures from the past and portray them with lyrically presented truth to her readers.  This narrative is more intimate for us with the inclusion of possible dialogue between Rachel and her great-nephew and adopted son, Roger.  The descriptions of the storm, the landscape, and the sensory experience are both soothing and reverent and exciting and astonishing.  Here is another passage.

They walked past the cinnamon ferns

and reindeer moss

and the drip-drip-drip of glittery raindrops

on the tips of the shiny leaves

that were washed in moonlight.

Their flashlights bobbed cones of yellow light ahead of them.

From left to right on the open and matching dust jacket and book case readers are presented with a portrait of the misty walk toward the sea.  On the left, back, darkness nearly hides the ferns and leaves stretching from the ground.  A single firefly floats above them.  The text here reads:

As the soft dark folded itself around then,

and the sea called out to them like a lullaby,

Roger and Rachel breathed in the salty sea air . . . together.

On the front with their flashlights guiding them down the path, the affection between the two is evident.  Look how Roger leans toward Rachel and she bends to him. The expressions on their faces here, and throughout the book, mirror every emotion.  As your eyes move past them, you can see the delicate details included in this image.  Can you see the cricket, the dragonfly and the raindrops on the trees?

The opening and closing endpapers are colored in flashlight-glow yellow.  On the title page we gaze at a panoramic view of the storm clouds hanging over the cabin tucked in the woods by the sea.  The only light in the scene is from the front window in the cottage.

Each visual by artist Daniel Miyares was

rendered with ink on paper.

From the smaller pictures on the end flaps, to the dramatic double-page images, and the lovely full-page pictures (several only seen from the glow of a lantern), we share in each moment with Roger and Rachel.  The use of shadow and light in focusing our attention on specific portions of an illustration are breathtaking.

When you pause to look at the illustrations your eyes discover all the wonders Rachel and Roger do.  You see the beauty of the forest trees and ferns after the thunderstorm as they walk.  You look up as they do to see an owl resting in the hollow of a tree.  You get down low with Roger as he peers at frogs and insects pausing on blades of grass. 

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is a double-page picture, a bird's eye view of Rachel and Roger as they arrive at the shore.  From left to right is a swirl of darkness with some light from the now shining moon illuminating the laurel and blueberry bushes.  The pathway and stairs are clearly visible.  On the far right, tiny figures, flashlights casting light in front of them, walk toward the sandy beach.  You want to be there with them.  You want to be a part of this grand depiction.

This book, Night Walk to the Sea: A Story About Rachel Carson, Earth's Protector written by Deborah Wiles with artwork by Daniel Miyares, is an engaging request for readers to meet Rachel and Roger and to welcome us into our majestic natural world.  Now, more than ever, we need to seek, and see the world around us, so we can assist in protecting and preserving it for the future inhabitants.  At the close of the book, Deborah Wiles speaks in a section titled:

A Note About Rachel Carson

and This Story.

She also includes a discussion about bioluminescence, selected titles written by Rachel Carson and those written about her.  Her acknowledgements are highly informative, too.  I highly recommend this title for all your collections.

To discover more about Deborah Wiles and Daniel Miyares, and their other work, please visit their websites by following the link attached to their names.  Deborah Wiles has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.  Daniel Miyares has accounts on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.  At the Penguin Random House Education you can view interior images.  

Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy hosted by educator Alyson Beecher to view the selections this week by participants in the 2020 Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge.  I believe her post will appear later this week.

Searching For The Night

Each month we observers of the night skies are given a gift.  This gift is courtesy of the moon who hides her glow in her new phase.  She goes dark so we can see the splendor of the starry expanses.  Constellations and paths of twinkling lights are a wondrous sight.

For those living in or near cities, even when the moon is new, they are unable to see all the night sky offers.  Even in the middle of the night, there are too many lights shining.  There are streetlights, lights from signs for businesses, and parking lot lights to name a few.  Lights Out (Creative Editions, August 18, 2020) written by Marsha Diane Arnold with illustrations by Susan Reagan addresses in an enchanting tale the real phenomenon of light pollution. 

Little Fox peeks out from her den.

Beetle flits above her.

"Lights out!" she barks.

But the lights stay on.

There is not a place Fox and Beetle look without light.  It is as if night and the darkness it brings have disappeared.  They decide Night is still somewhere, lost, but needs to be found.

The duo begins their search as Songbird struggles with the lack of darkness.  There is no map of stars for her to follow.  She joins the search.  Frog cannot begin his songs without darkness.  He leaps along with the others.

On the top of a mountain, Bear sees Fox, Beetle, Songbird and Frog seeking the Dark of Night.  Bear follows the others for reasons of his own.  There are lights everyplace they look.  No place it seems is untouched by light.  By and by, they arrive at the shore of the sea.

Here tiny turtles have hatched from their eggs.  They are not sure where to go.  The larger animals guide them toward the water.  Songbird and Beetle from the air encourage the babies to come to the sea.  And then . . . against the deeper dark waters in the darkening sky, a bit of magic happens.  Beetle has been harboring a secret.  In helping others to safety, the five creatures swim toward their hearts' desire.

Much like the pieces in a finely stitched quilt author Marsha Diane Arnold with each page turn in this title discloses a poetic portion of her story, moving toward a breathtaking conclusion.  Some conversation is blended in the descriptive observations.  Repetition figures in the rhythm, acting as a connection.  It is important to note darkness, dark, and night are written with a capital letter.  Marsha Diane Arnold makes them characters.  Here is a passage.

Where is Darkness? Where is Night,

where coyotes sing, owls hunt, and

birds fly across continents,

where foxes move through the dark

and beetles are more than beetles?

Muted, sepia-toned colors used throughout the book are introduced on the front, right side, of the open dust jacket.  Here, too, we meet the characters of Fox, Beetle, Songbird, Frog and Bear as they look for the Dark of the Night.  Notice Beetle, and a twig forming the "i" in the title.  To the left, on the back, Beetle, and the twig on horizontally positioned over the ISBN.  Above them on the canvas of cream, in a small circle, Beetle's secret is disclosed.  Continuing with the cream background and wide, brown spine, the book case features Beetle's secret on the back.  On the front the tiny turtles in a small image swim toward the white light of the moon.

On the opening and closing endpapers, still cream, tiny green turtles move from left to right searching for the sea. They begin in the lower, left-hand corner. The pattern is cleverly positioned so the turtles on the far right of the opening endpapers move from left to right on the closing endpapers.  The first turtle is close to the upper, right-hand corner of the closing endpapers.  On the title page, the illustration from the front of the dust jacket is used.

Each illustration by Susan Reagan is an exquisite depiction of setting and the individual characters.  You will find yourself pausing at each page turn to savor the details.  Multiple perspectives are shown in each scene.  The sizes of the images accentuate the narrative moving from single-page pictures to dramatic double-page visuals.  Light and shadow are masterfully portrayed.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is for the first mention of Frog.  It spans two pages.  In the foreground among reeds and water a group of frogs are still.  Frog is larger than the others and closer to the reader.  On the left a car shines its lights on the water.  On the water, behind the car, a boat glides forward shining a spotlight on the water.  From the left, across the gutter and to the far right is an arched bridge, cars traveling on the highway at its top, and streetlights like white globes evenly spaced glow.  Another boat on the far right, also shines a spotlight on the water.  (I also need to state I gasped at a two-page picture toward the end with a single word on the page.)

This book, Lights Out written by Marsha Diane Arnold with artwork by Susan Reagan is a plea to lessen light pollution, and a lyrical tribute to the Dark of Night.  In an author's note prior to the start of the narrative, Marsha Diane Arnold talks about light pollution, the Dark Sky Association, and International Dark-Sky Week.  I highly recommend this title for your professional and personal collections.

If you desire to learn more about Marsha Diane Arnold and Susan Reagan and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their respective websites.  Marsha Diane Arnold has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.  Susan Reagan has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images.  Last year Susan Reagan was interviewed about her work at Critter Lit.  Recently Marsha Diane Arnold was highlighted by author Jill Esbaum at PictureBookBuilders about this book.

Inside, Outside, What Will You See?

Regardless of their speed, they move in silence.  They were revered in ancient cultures, elevated to roles as deities. They have intermingled and lived with humans for thousands of years, yet they are said to be aloof.  Those humans who share their days with them often disagree with this assessment as does a recent scientific study.  They find them to be the best kind of companions. 

Our feline friends are beloved for a multitude of reasons; perhaps one is their ability to notice what others do not.  In 1985, thirty-five years ago, author illustrator Ashley Wolff published a book titled Only the Cat Saw (Dodd, Mead & Company).  (I was able to obtain a paperback copy released by Puffin Books in November 1988.)  In this book, as a family goes about end-of-the-day and nighttime routines inside their home, their cat makes its own observations of the outside world.

After making a gift of this original edition to her editor of ten years, Ashley Wolff was requested to update the images for a republication. Most of the text remains the same with the exception of a name change and the concluding sentences which add an exquisite enchantment to the story.  All the illustrations, the paintings, are new, supplying readers with enhanced perspectives and a diverse family.  One thing remains wonderfully the same.  This book, Only The Cat Saw (Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, June 16, 2020) written and illustrated by Ashley Wolff,  is a classic calming ode to our world at day's end and during an nighttime rain shower, inside and outside a home.

It was suppertime,
and night was coming soon.
Mother was busy with Sam.
Tessa was helping Father.

So only the cat saw . . .

With a page turn, a double-page wordless picture reveals what the cat saw.  In both books the cat is still inside looking out at a pastoral scene as the sun sets behind rolling hills.  The number and size of windows has changed as well as the setting in the foreground and the animals.  We are much closer to the cat, the large geranium plant on the table and other objects.

In each of the subsequent moments, the rhythm of text on the left with accompanying full-page image on the right, followed by a dramatic wordless double-page image is beautifully consistent.  We move with ease and contentment from bath time, to bedtime, to dreams, an unplanned early morning awakening, Mother and Sam awake mere hours later, and then it is time for breakfast.  Each of these episodes in the home runs parallel to the cat's journey outside.

Horses are visited as fireflies become playthings.  From under the cover of large leaves, the cat watches an owl swoop to catch an evening meal of a mouse.  Will the owl or the mouse be the victor?  Perched among slumbering ewes and a ram, the cat watches a star arch across a star-studded sky.

As the rain showers concede to a sunny new morning, the cat watches high above the ground.  When the family members stir inside, a shift in the story takes readers to a new point of view.  There is a time and a place for every being to see and to be seen.


In each portion of the narrative, author Ashley Wolff includes one or all of the family members.  She intimately involves readers in these familial situations.  She creates a cadence for readers using the same format for each selection.  You find yourself holding your breath after you read:

So only the cat saw . . .

You wonder what surprise awaits you with the page turn.  Here is another passage.

At bedtime,
Mother and Father were reading.
Sam was finally asleep,
and Tessa was supposed to be.

So only the cat saw . . .


When you open the matching dust jacket and book case, you are greeted with a breathtaking, soothing nighttime vista.  As your eyes move from left to right the perspective alters from a background to the foreground on the right.  On the left, as if we are a cat, the two-story family home, lights glowing in some of the windows, rises above wildflowers and grasses in a surrounding meadow.  Behind the home is a starry sky with a full moon.  The white puffs of flowers mirror the moon.  Several moths sip nectar as a small brown mouse freezes on the far left.

On the right, front, the cat comes toward readers, looking directly at us.  If you compare the two front covers, this cat is much closer to us.  It's tail here (and in other scenes) is more curved becoming linked to the title.  This newer cat has different eyes and more distinctive white spots.  The fur is textured.  In the most recent edition two beetles have paused on leaves.  The title text on the jacket is raised.

The opening and closing endpapers are a canvas of golden yellow like the author's name, the flower, and the "O" in the title.  The first illustration on the title page is a single page picture in both editions.  In each one the cat is stretching as if recently waking up.  In the newer version the cat is closer to readers and looking at us.  In this edition of the book is appears as if cooler colors and more vibrant colors have replaced golden shades and subdued hues.

With a page turn we are greeted with a double page picture.  In my older version the mother is hanging laundry.  There is a basket for clothes and one for Sam.  Amy has both arms holding the basket as it rests on the ground.  On a large sheet is the dedication and publication information.  In the new release Dad is hanging up the laundry.  Sam is in front of Dad in a baby carrier.  A small basket on the ground holds clothes pins.  In the laundry basket is a pile of clothes with the cat on top.  Tessa is peeking between two sheets.  The dedication is on one of them. In this book the publication information in on the last page with a stunning picture of the cat.

In the earlier edition all the full-page illustrations were bordered in white.  In this book, the images bleed to the edges.  In all of them we are closer to the subjects.  We are drawn into each location.  The details are many with intricate fine lines.  The use of light and shadow is splendid.  Readers will find comfort in the way the images by Ashley Wolff extend her words.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is a double-page picture.  The color palette is limited, but it conveys strong emotions.  Inside the barn the ewes, lambs and a ram are curled and cuddled in sleep.  Through the one visible window light from the full moon casts a beam.  The cat is sitting on the body of one of the sheep.  It is looking through the open barn door at the rolling hills, the night sky and the falling star.  You can't look at this picture and not wish to be there.


Both editions of this book are lovely in the lullaby they generate for readers in the words and pictures, but this new release of Only the Cat Saw written and illustrated by Ashley Wolff is eloquent.  Readers will request to have this read to them repeatedly.  It is now one of my favorite bedtime, quiet time, titles.  You could also use this to promote writing, imagining a scene inside a home and what the cat might see outside. There is not a personal or professional collection that would be complete without this title.

If you would like to discover more about Ashley Wolff and her body of work, please visit her website by following the link attached to her name to access her website.  Ashley Wolff also has accounts on WordPress, Instagram and Twitter.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images.  In a post at Publishers Weekly Ashley Wolff is interviewed about this new titles and the changes made and why.  I believe you will really enjoy reading it.  In the video below Ashley Wolff talks about the new edition and reads it aloud.

A Lullaby

For the past few nights, the light of the moon is waning.  By Sunday, the New Moon will shed no glow.  In this black sky, the stars seen overhead are increasing.  Broad highways, pinpoints of light, stretch as far as the eye can see.  Falling stars are more frequent.  Shapes of constellations are more prevalent.  You have to wonder, too, if the absence of traffic for previous months is contributing to the clearer visibility.

When you stand in stillness beneath this star-studded dome, its vastness is soothing but remarkable.  As your senses adjust, you see outlines of your surroundings and hear creatures of the night.  In The Night Is For Darkness (Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, June 2, 2020) written by Jonathan Stutzman with illustrations by Joseph Kuefler, readers take a journey with siblings and their father.  It's a time of encounters, anticipation, and the warmth of welcoming familial routines. 

The night is for darkness
and bright golden beams.

As the car moves along the empty highway, the children are treated to views of deer seeking food, water, and space to sleep.  Wild rabbits leap alongside the car as if racing them to their destination.  When they enter a forest, the boy's and girl's eager looks seek other critters sheltering in their homes.

As the landscape stretches before them, it is easy to see a front moving across the terrain.  In the distance lightning forks to the ground and thunder rumbles.  Ahead of them, the moon continues to cast its luminous light. 

Inside the car, flashlight beams assist in antics as headlights disclose nighttime flight.  Soon a home is reached.  Windows are beacons offering sanctuary.  Arms open in affection.

Bedtime rituals, cozy and comfortable, are for listening and speaking and wishes come true.  Parents calm weary children.  And the moon shines on slumbering souls.


The poetic cadences penned by Jonathan Stutzman lull readers with their repetition of key words and rhythmic rhyming in each pair of sentences or phrases.  As pages are turned, readers are invited to participate in what the darkness provides.  We enjoy the revelations, some familiar and some, perhaps, entirely new. Here is a passage.

The night is for hiding.
And search
and finding.

For spooky tall forests.
For paths long and
winding.


The magic often found during the darkness of night emanates from the open and matching dust jacket and book case.  We are drawn into the spacious mountainous landscape.  We are quieted by the shades of blue and purple spanning the partially clouded sky.  The moon illuminates portions of the rabbits' bodies on the front and on the back.  The rabbit on the back is facing the hilly plateaus.  They have both paused in their nighttime activities to watch as the family's car travels down the highway.  Do you notice the special shading on the title text?

On the opening and closing endpapers a rich velvety black supplies a canvas for wisps of clouds, a few stars, and a full moon.  From the first set to the second set, the moon and clouds move.  Joseph Kuefler begins his visual interpretation and enhancement on the title and verso pages with a double-page picture.  The brother and sister are seated on the hood of their car, waiting for their father to finishing packing the boxes on top.  To their left is the home they are leaving.  A For Sale sign hangs in the yard.

With a page turn the siblings are looking out the back window of their car as it leaves their home.  This is a wordless two-page image of a neighborhood with the strong presence of the night sky.  The moon is reflected in one of the windows.  (I am wondering about the significance of the names on the street signs and the license plate number.)

Strong elements are present in all the two-page pictures.  There is a powerful contrast between the darkness, night, and the lights of the car and the moon.  These opposites are created with excellent skill.  Joseph Kuefler shifts between panoramic views and zooming in on a particular scene.  Readers will enjoy the small details he includes like the tiny stuffed animals in the car and their real-life matches in some of the settings.

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is when the car stops for a family of deer to cross the highway.  A section of the upper, right-hand corner shows the night sky.  The rest of the double-page picture is glowing in the headlights.  In the background we can see the outline of the car and the faces of the brother and sister filled with wonder.  In the foreground one deer is nearly off the left side.  A fawn is in the middle of the image.  Coming in from the right side is a male with antlers.  Both of their heads are turned toward the car.


Every time this book, The Night Is For Darkness written by Jonathan Stutzman with illustrations by Joseph Kuefler, is read it envelopes you in serenity.  It speaks of the natural rhythm of the outside world and our place in it.  It invites us into a home with bedtime rituals designed to convey love and security.  It, like the last sentence which is repeated, is a pathway to the sweetest of dreams.  I can't imagine a professional or personal bookshelf without a copy of this title.

To discover more about Jonathan Stutzman and Joseph Kuefler and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their respective websites.  Jonathan Stutzman has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  Joseph Kuefler has accounts on Instagram and Twitter.

Seeking Light

A first sighting every year sends a surge of happiness into your soul.  They are harbingers of a seasonal shift and the continuity of Mother Nature.  As a glow in the cloak of darkness, they are briefly like stars, shining on and off and on and off.

This light they make is akin to Morse code, a special beetle communication, welcoming mates and warning territory encroachers and predators.  Firefly Home (Nosy Crow, June 11, 2019) written by Jane Clarke with illustrations by Britta Teckentrup is an endearing, participatory story for younger readers.  A firefly is lost.  Will she find her companions?

There's no place like home,
and this special place is home for fireflies.

Fireflies have a bright light inside
them that shimmers and shines.

We learn Florence, a firefly, is alone, far from home.  We are asked to help her.  Between the leaves on a nearby tree, there is a light.  It might be another firefly.

When we turn the page, we discover it is a crescent moon glimmering on water.  There appears to be more light in the distance.  We follow with Florence.  It is not her home but a beacon for boats.  With another page turn, there is light, but it is not the serenity this firefly seeks. In fact, we are asked to encourage her to fly faster to keep pace with this line of lights.

Now, our lightning bug has entered a city.  There are lights in nearly every window.  It's distracting.  How can she see another being like her among all this light?  Florence needs to be back in the dark; a park is the perfect place.

It is requested we make a wish, a wish on a group of falling stars.  Eyes closed; we wish until a shout is heard.  This voice demands our attention and we comply.  We are with Florence, one hundred percent.  This is why we utter bedtime words of affection.


As soon as author Jane Clarke tells us a firefly is missing, we feel instant tension.  When she enlists the help of readers after introducing us to Florence, we are ready.  We are asked to turn pages, flap our hands, speak words to Florence, point to Florence, wish, close our eyes, trace trails and whisper words.  Descriptive and alliterative verbs and adjectives fashion a gentle rhythm.  The repetition of

Could that be home? and

No, that's not home.

ties the different sources of light together and connects us further with Florence.  Here are two passages.

Where shall we start?
Oh, look! There's a bright light
peeping through the trees.
Could that be home?
Let's turn the page and see.

No, that's not home.  It's just the big, bright
moon above the sparkling sea.


When you open the book case of this title, the inviting night scene replete with hues of blue, golden yellow, brown and bits of green continues on the left side of the spine.  Florence, the firefly needing to find home, is joined by four other fireflies.  They are circling around text inviting us into the story.  On the front Florence, her stream of light and the title text are varnished.  To the left, on the back, the light arcs of the four fireflies are varnished.

The opening and closing endpapers are bright yellow.  Florence flies between the text on the title page.  Five of her companions fly through the night sky at the end on the publication and dedication page.

The digital illustrations, spanning two pages throughout the title, rendered by Britta Teckentrup are like multi-layered collage.  The color palette seen on the book case is used throughout the book to imply a night setting but realistic shades are used in all the elements.  The point of view varies with the text, giving us a panoramic display and then, for emphasis, brings us close to Florence.

There is a hint of the type of light prior to each page turn, allowing for readers to make predictions.  Florence's wide-eyed looks and her body posture depict her mood as she journeys from place to place.  This encourages us to assist her with enthusiasm.

One of my favorite illustrations is of a multi-arched brick bridge spanning from left to right.  Traveling on top of the bridge is a large passenger train with numerous glistening windows, moving from left to right.  Above the train is a sky with sparkling stars and a few puffs of clouds.  Florence is trying to keep pace with the train, flying alongside it.  Her light stream is trailing behind her for half the length of the train.  Beneath the bridge and through the arches we can see hills dotted with trees and in the distance on the right, a few buildings in the city.


For children who have never seen a lightning bug or those who look forward to seeing them every summer, Firefly Home written by Jane Clarke with illustrations by Britta Teckentrup is a treat they can hold in their hands and read repeatedly.  Whether as a storytime selection or a cozy one-on-one bedtime read aloud, this title increases appreciation for our natural world at the same time it asks for our assistance.  The cheerful narrative and lively illustrations inspire and support participation.    I'm happy to have this book in my personal collection.  It will make an excellent addition to your professional collections for a calming read aloud, a unit on insects or a theme of offering help to those who need it the most.

To learn more about Jane Clarke and Britta Teckentrup and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their respective websites.  Jane Clarke has accounts on Facebook and Twitter.  Britta Teckentrup has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.  At Nosy Crow, Candlewick Press and Penguin Random House, you can view interior images.

You might be interested in the information at Firefly Conservation & Research.  Here is a link to firefly videos at National Geographic.

Gliding Through The Darkness

If you stand still, there is no sound outside tonight, not even the whisper of a north wind.  As soon as you move your breath is serenaded by the crunch of snow beneath your boots.  It's easy to believe in a special kind of magic on this evening in December.

If a long, low whistle sounds in the distance, you'll know passengers are traveling to a special place along the nearby rails.  Night Train, Night Train (Charlesbridge, October 9, 2018) written by Robert Burleigh with illustrations by Wendell Minor is about a similar journey where the everyday becomes marvelous and new.  Light and shadows cast a spell.

Train ride! Bump-bump.
Chug-chug. Slow.
Faster.  Faster.
Off we go.

A child looks out a train window as it leaves the station.  As it moves through the darkness all he can see is shades of gray.  Before too long the engine pulls the cars over a road, spots of red flash.

Through the countryside it goes.  Look!  A blue hue glows in a single window in a farmhouse gable.  Alabaster sparkles from a single star.  Color springs uninvited by the night but is nevertheless welcome.

Metal on metal flares into a familiar combination.  Along a busy highway a sign glimmers as it points toward a destination.  Water laps along a shoreline beneath a bridge.  Light beams from a full moon.

Speeding down the track the train streaks toward another station.  Inside on his seat the boy drifts into dreams.  Soon the shades of gray are banished by the rays of a rising sun.  A new day begins.


After reading the first set of four lines readers will feel the urge to read this book aloud.  Robert Burleigh takes the rhythm of riding on a train and incorporates it into each phrase, rhyming the second and fourth words.   In-between the introduction of nine colors amid those phrases, a repetition of the four-word title plus additional descriptors further defines the train and travel on this train.  Here are some passages.

Round. Yellow.
Mr. Moon.
Watching.  Whispering,
"Be there soon."

Night train, night train, beam-of-light train.


When you look to see the illustrator's name on the front of the opened dust jacket, you realize this is a departure from the usual work of this beloved artist.  After reading the book you can't imagine any other medium or style working as beautifully as the graphite on paper and digital choices of Wendell Minor.  The limited palette, gray, black, white, blue and yellow, on the front (right) of the dust jacket beckons to us.  To the left, on the back, the boy, holding his teddy bear is close to us as he gazes out the train window.  Red, white and blue are elements in this view, too.

A textured gray paper (cloth) covers the book case.  Along the bottom of the front a train track is embossed.  Above this in silver foil is the title of the book.  A soft charcoal is used for the opening endpapers.  On the closing endpapers a pale yellow announces the dawn.

Beneath the text on the title page the boy's suitcase is placed, covered in travel stickers.  His smiling teddy bear is seated next to it.  Opposite the verso and dedication page, which contains a thumbnail of the front of the dust jacket, is a wordless picture of the boy looking out the window.  His teddy bear sits next to him on the seat.  Light outlines them as it does other items throughout the book.

For each of the full page pictures a large border of white frames them.  This is followed by magnificent double-page illustrations spanning from page edge to page edge.  Wendell Minor elevates the mood of the narrative and its pacing by bringing us close to the scene or giving us a more panoramic view.  Sometimes the gutter and borders separate two pieces of a larger image.  The details, light and shading ask us to pause at each picture.

One of my many, many favorite pictures is nearly a bird's eye view of a small community along a river.  It spans two pages.  On the left older buildings, homes and a church with a tall spire nestle together.  The train speeds along the track at the bottom, left to right.  On the right the river stretches to the tree line and horizon.  It's starting to cross a bridge.  Wendell has added spots of colors already mentioned in the poem; an orange light in the church window, a blue shooting star, a red light on the right river bank, white stars, a purple glow in another building and black and gray.  (Every time a color is named the font is changed from white to that specific color.)


The mix of narrative and artwork creates a soothing, rhythmic feeling whenever you read Night Train, Night Train written by Robert Burleigh with illustrations by Wendell Minor.  To acquaint readers with colors and travel on a train, this title is a stunning choice.  It would be wonderful with a storytelling train theme, as a quiet time or drifting-off-to-dreamland bedtime book.  I love this book! (Wendell Minor talks about the locomotive in the pictures at the conclusion in an illustrator's note.)

If you want to learn more about Robert Burleigh or Wendell Minor and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  At the publisher's website you can view interior images.  Wendell Minor maintains an account on Twitter.

Nudges With Nature

For children, and even some adults, it's not enough to see, hear, smell or taste something special.  Every single sense needs to be used to the fullest.  Unless we've been warned of danger, our hands reach out to feel the texture of the newly discovered phenomenon.   Sometimes we are pleasantly surprised by the difference between our anticipation and the reality.

On August 27, 2013 debut children's author illustrator Christie Matheson released Tap The Magic Tree (Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers).  In a bright array of colors on crisp white the dust jacket displays secrets about the story.  The book case shows us on the right a tree in spring, leaves finally unfurled.  To the left the tree has those same leaves turned to shades of red, orange and yellow.

Beginning with a single tree, branches bare, we participate in its life cycle during the course of a year.  Readers are invited with rhyming words to tap, turn, rub, touch, jiggle, wiggle, brush away, blow a kiss, shake, knock, pat, blow, clap, wait and see.  We bring on the blossoms, opening, falling and forming fruit.  Ripe red apples grow and drop.  Autumn breezes leave it bare and snow hangs on the limbs before the promises of spring are kept. 

Readers feel as though they are Mother Nature shaping and witnessing the wonder of change.  Like her we create and appreciate. It's simple, it's magical.

Touch The Brightest Star (Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, May 26, 2015), a companion to the first title written and illustrated by Christie Matheson, welcomes us to another performance.  We are conductors of the setting of the sun, the arrival of night and its leave-taking at dawn.  While others rest, we tingle with expectancy.  

Magic happens every night. 

First wave good-bye to the sun's bright light.

Do you see it?  It's the first firefly of the night.  Soon others follow, glowing globes drifting on a gentle breeze we blow.  A fawn glides from safety.  We watch and then bid it farewell.

A star, wishes and caressing the sky get us ready for a rare event.  As the dark deepens more stars appear above us.  Carefully we make connections.  A bright star in the north forms a utensil and a guide. 

Where is the moon?  Oh, there it is.  Who's calling whoo?  There's not one but two.  

It's hard to stay awake in the still silence of the night.  Welcoming the night is tiring.  Time to sleep until a new day brightens us with light.

With her opening sentence Christie Matheson speaks a simple truth to her readers.  (I've spent every night for almost fifteen years outside with Xena to know the wisdom of her words.)  She opens the door to possibilities.  Every two sentences end with a rhyming word, not necessarily on the same page.  This is how we are lead through the shifts with impeccable pacing.  She may place an additional single word among these phrases to elevate the importance of a moment.  Here is a sample. 

Gently press the firefly. (right) (page turn)

Oh!

Press again to light up the sky. (left)

Collages were used to prepare the full-color art by Christie Matheson.  On the dust jacket the large star is embossed in silver foil.  The shading in the text replicates the changing of the light from night to day and back again.  On the back to the left are fireflies and stars introducing some of the magic to readers with invitational text.  

The differing book case is an image from the interior of two owls on branches, one over the other, on the left.  A full moon is shining on the right.  Flowers are sprinkled on the ground below the starry sky. A deep blue covers both the opening and closing endpapers.  The title page text mirrors that of the dust jacket, entirely in white. The verso and dedication pages are layers of purple, blue and green sky.

With each page turn Matteson has rendered double-page visuals.  The tree is in all of them acting as an anchor giving perspective to the transformations.  A bluebird flies out but a firefly takes its place. The fawn peeks in from the left seeing the firefly.  As time passes one detail fades and another one grows.  There is delicateness in her simple illustrations evoking the mood of the night.  

One of my favorite pictures is for the phrase

Now let's blow a quiet breeze.

The time of night is just past dusk.  I like to think of it as the moments we hold our breath waiting.  Eight fireflies are moving about as the fawn looks up watching. The sky is a blend of turquoise and royal blue.  We can still see the flowers clearly.  

During quiet time in your classroom, tucked tight with your children before bedtime or as a unit on the changes during the day into night (or the seasons or fruit from her first book), the rhyming words of Christie Matheson in Touch The Brightest Star will sooth your listeners as they reach out to follow her guiding phrases.  Charming night creatures amid the stars and moon supply a peaceful presence.  You will find it hard not to feel the calm.

To learn more about both these books please read the samples below.  Here is a link to a teaching guide for the first title.

From Mystery To Marvelous

Shortly after 12:30 this morning Xena and I stepped outside for our final stroll before bedtime.  Unlike during the day when breezes are steady, not a leaf stirred.  Temperatures and humidity had dropped bringing clarity to the air.  A half-moon was framed in the sky by birch tree branches now black.  The few stars not affected by the light of the moon were as bright as ripe berries waiting to be plucked.  The rest of the neighborhood was quiet.  We were two lone observers.

During such unexpected moments as these it's easy to believe you are someplace entirely different than you are during the morning, afternoon and early evening.  The Night World (Little, Brown and Company, June 16, 2015) written and illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein follows a cat and her boy on an excursion.  Nothing is the same.

"Good night, Sylvie."

A cat sits on her boy's bedspread gazing out the window as stars begin to appear in the sky. The yard is still filled with light from the setting sun.  Sometime later the boy is awakened from a sound sleep by a questioning call from his cat.  The boy does not know the hour but the cat cries to go outside.

She leads them both through the darkened house; the rest of the family, even the dog and parrot, eyes closed, are at rest.   As they make their way downstairs the boy looks in wonder around the rooms.  It looks so strange at night.

Urging him to hurry, the two go into the yard.  Everything is cloaked in shadows.  The boy guesses at the identity of the shapes he sees.  Anticipation fills the boy's senses.

Nocturnal creatures begin to cautiously make their way toward the cat and her boy.  They whisper words brimming with expectation.  Something is coming.

First one bird, then another and then an entire chorus announce an arrival.  Sylvia asks her boy to look.  And then he sees it.  His animal companions slip away.  Through its radiance a new world comes into focus.


I imagine the first sentence will be spoken in a whisper.  With those words Mordicai Gerstein lifts a blanket called hush over us all.  As it settles easily around us we feel the gentle warmth and curious awe the world of night brings.  Using a blend of first person narrative with conversation, Gerstein involves us intimately with the story.  We are tiptoeing right along with Sylvie and her boy.  Here is another sample passage.

That shadow is a deer.
Is this one a rabbit?
A porcupine looks up and
whispers, "It's almost here."


Rendered in acrylics, pen and ink and colored pencil on Strathmore gray Artagain paper the softly-textured illustrations are a sensory joy.  The inky black fabric on the front and the back of the dust jacket extend to the flaps where outlines of the boy, Sylvie and a bird are highlighted.  We want to stand with the cat and boy at the window peering into the star-studded night.  On the back, to the left, some of the animals, an owl, a bear, a porcupine, a rabbit, a skunk and a deer, are placed on the outside of the window frame.  They too are watching the sky.

For the book case Mordicai Gerstein places Sylvie and her boy outside surrounded by a swirl of stars.  It's like they are standing in the Milky Way.  They are looking up into the night.  The opening and closing endpapers are filled with the dark and stars.  With the first page turn the boy speaks the first sentence.  There is still enough light outside and inside to see color.  For the verso and title page, the boy is deep asleep.  It is now completely dark.

Before Sylvie and the boy leave the house the illustrations are framed with about two inches of a gray shade regardless if they are single or double-page images.  Gerstein shapes them geometrically, usually narrower at one end of the rectangle.  The first two-page visual, edge to edge, is when they are in the yard together.

It is followed by nine more stunning portrayals of night gradually easing into the light of a glorious new day.  The eyes on each living being convey the peaceful quiet of every moment and their mood.  Gerstein's lines flow masterfully from one element to the next.

All of these illustrations are superb.  One of my favorite ones is when the animals gather around the boy and Sylvie.  They are all looking intently in the same direction, waiting.  (I can already see readers and listeners pointing to each one and naming them.)  Stars dazzle through the trees.  The house sits in the background, all the windows dark.


The Night World written and illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein is breathtaking in its recognition of a night wrapped in beauty, of the nocturnal creatures and the simple gratitude of greeting a sunrise.  Moving slowing from the absence of color to the glow of a full spectrum we appreciate the gift Sylvie has given to her boy.  Please share this book as often as you can.  I know you will be asked to read it more than once.  In an author's note at the end, Gerstein speaks about what prompted the creation of this book.


Mordicai Gerstein has been interviewed at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, Massachusetts School Library Association, and Barefoot Books, Living Barefoot Blog.  For the pronunciation of his name please visit TeachingBooks.net.  UPDATE:  There is loads of artwork at Julie Danielson's Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast on July 12, 2015.

This book is so spectacular I am giving away a copy.  Good luck to you all.

Illumination

For almost fourteen years I've carried a flashlight as Xena and I take our final walk of the day.  It carves a safe space for us to move through the darkness navigating over our lawn, along the side of the road and through the uneven ground of vacant lots.  It picks up the eyes of deer snacking in gardens, the slither of a snake crossing the road, and the flash of rabbit's tail. Thankfully it announces our presence to less than careful motorists.

Certainly comforting, it also casts a different glow on the flora and fauna of our natural surroundings.  Flashlight (Chronicle Books) a wordless vision by author illustrator Lizi Boyd is one child's adventurous exploration of the night.  Grab a flashlight, turn off the lights and let's explore!

Nearly mirror images, but not quite, the dust jacket and book case in silver gray, black and white with colors illuminated in a radiating triangle, beckon to readers.  Opening endpapers in black, white and silver gray feature delicate images of plants and animals seen within the book.  Spot color is added to similar scenes on the closing endpapers.

A page turn, the verso on the left, the title on the right, begins the story.  A small tent houses our seeker lying on their stomach, head resting on hands, reading a book, as the flashlight casts a beam outside.  Leaving the tent footwear is donned, the flashlight placed on the ground showing us a yellow boot, grass and tiny red flowers.

Walking from place to place, a shift from left hand to right and back or an arm raised, lowered and up again, we see small portions of the dark showcased, briefly put on display.  Startled bats take flight, mice scamper, an owl's eyes widen, and a porcupine nestled in the crook of a tree chews on bark.  Cautiously hidden behind a tree we watch skunks waddle away; whew no phew.

As the child tours through nature's realm, those caught in the flashlight beam keep watch following.  Getting up after stopping to snack on some apples, a stone trips the wanderer.  Both the youth and the flashlight tumble to the ground.

In a humorous twist, the viewpoint is altered.  Creatures create delight.  Gathering, guiding and providing, memories are made on this marvelous magical night.


Using the unique color palette introduced on the dust jacket and cover, Lizi Boyd, using gouache, paints stunning double and single page illustrations throughout this title.  Delicate details, fine lines and simple expressive facial features create a hushed atmosphere evoking a slower pace.  Readers turn pages expectantly, eyes searching.

Matte-finished paper provides an engaging tactile experience.  By the second picture readers realize Boyd has painstakingly given them a gift.  Small cuts in the pages focus on portions of the next page incorporating it into the current visual.  Right to left, page after page, we hunt for these tiny treasures.

We are aware of the passage of time as the moon rises and travels across the sky.  Some smaller elements in her illustrations have color without the use of the flashlight; a choice begging for discussion.  It is impossible to select a favorite illustration.  The center piece of the child seeing the fawn, then sitting to eat the apples is pleasing and peaceful.  More of the animals are coming closer perhaps out of curiosity or to provide company.


Certain to be a bedtime classic whether sleeping inside or outside, Flashlight conceived and illustrated by Lizi Boyd is a masterful work of art.  She elevates simple to superb.  I would plan on having multiple copies.  This is sure to be discussed in Mock Caldecott groups.

Please take a moment to visit Lizi Boyd's website by following the link embedded in her name.  If you follow this link to the publisher's website three more two-page spreads are shared.  Even more artwork can be seen by stopping by a post at Brain Pickings.  Lizi Boyd is a guest on a Let's Get Busy podcast hosted by teacher librarian, Matthew C. Winner.  Last year Lizi Boyd was part of a trifecta at Watch. Connect. Read. hosted by John Schumacher, sharpread hosted by Colby Sharp and at the Nerdy Book Club.  This title was taken on John Schumacher's Road Trip this summer.