The night Is for darkness

Stutzman's rhyming tribute to the magic of nighttime is staged on a family's nocturnal road trip to their new home. A brother and sister sit in the backseat of a car as their father drives on an interstate highway. As they pass through surreal landscapes, from spooky forests to mesas, they encounter animals like deer and foxes. Readers are privy to an even eerier world that the children can't see: rabbits speed along in the wet grass beside the road, bats fly overhead, and critters hide behind trees. While the road trip deals with discovery and the mystery of nighttime, it ends at home, where the family is reunited with mom, and the rituals of bedtime begin. Here those rituals revolve around fairy tales, saying prayers, lullabies, and of course, the affection, love, and feelings of security that a mother and father bestow. The poetry and the illustrations themselves feel like a lullaby, delivering a hypnotic effect that will engage young readers while lulling them to sleep.

On a moonlit night, a family leaves their old house--moving boxes atop the car, children peering wistfully from the backseat--to begin a road trip across state borders. The "bright golden beams" of the vehicle's headlights, the moon, and the young passengers' flashlights are the only sources of illumination in scenes awash in crepuscular colors, and Kuefler uses them to spotlight creatures (bunnies, bats, and owls hide and dart in the dark) and create a feeling of nocturnal adventure. Stutzman's rhyming text flows easily; the refrain--"the night is for"--lends a lullabylike rhythm. Upon the group's arrival, Kuefler uses lamps and candlelight to evoke the family's warm bond, but the verse falls flat as the focus shifts from nature to the indoors, where rhymes ("stories,/ for reading/ and telling.// Of magic and strangers,/ and beans/ they are selling") fail to conjure the outdoor lines' level of discovery. Even so, both nighttime and new experiences are full of mystery and the unknown, and this offering is couched in reassurance and comfort. Ages 4--8. (June)

PreS-Gr 1--The night can be frightening for young children. This sweet book helps them to realize that it is also full of beautiful surprises. The story follows two children and their father driving away from their house at night. With the help of car headlights and the full moon, the brother and sister are amazed at what they see. Deer are along the side of the road and hares are bouncing through the tall grass. A long and winding path through a forest is perfect for searching for animals of the night. The light shows squirrels climbing trees, mice and rabbits scurrying on the ground, and owls. The children see nature using other sources of illumination--lightning and fireflies light up the dark sky. The long, dark journey ends at their new house where their mother is waiting for them with open arms. This calming story for young readers has a soothing rhythm and flows easily. The illustrations are a perfect fit, with the dark background bringing the moonlit objects to the forefront to capture readers' attention. The information about nocturnal animals will help pique the interest of young listeners. VERDICT This is a beautiful bedtime story with a lilting text to lull little ones to sleep.--Barbara Spiri, Southborough Library, MA

Get ready for a twofer: a celebration of nighttime and moving all in one! Two woebegone children wave goodbye to their old home as their parent packs them and some remaining boxes into their departing car. Night has already fallen, and the family (which presents white) is leaving Minnesota in the deep, mysterious dark. But lovely lilting language celebrates the wonders that can be seen only when the sun is gone. "The night is for lightning. / The night is for glowing. // The night is for planning, / for packing / and going." Soon the car drives through the woods to a cozily lit house, where another adult is waiting with hugs and food and warm beds. The author imbues his text with rhymes that exude comfort, no matter what fear a child might be battling. Meanwhile, the art presents this nighttime ride with evocative renderings of distant city lights and even more distant stars. Some visual gags come off as possible in-jokes (what is the significance of the street signs labeled Victor Hugo Blvd. and--perhaps--Valjean Rd. at the story's start?), but all is forgiven in the rich mystery of shadows and the pulsing beams of a home's bright lights. Expect soothing reassurances that render the night magical and moving home an adventure in this sweetheart of a bedtime tale. (Picture books. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Stutzman's rhyming tribute to the magic of nighttime is staged on a family's nocturnal road trip to their new home. A brother and sister sit in the backseat of a car as their father drives on an interstate highway. As they pass through surreal landscapes, from spooky forests to mesas, they encounter animals like deer and foxes. Readers are privy to an even eerier world that the children can't see: rabbits speed along in the wet grass beside the road, bats fly overhead, and critters hide behind trees. While the road trip deals with discovery and the mystery of nighttime, it ends at home, where the family is reunited with mom, and the rituals of bedtime begin. Here those rituals revolve around fairy tales, saying prayers, lullabies, and of course, the affection, love, and feelings of security that a mother and father bestow. The poetry and the illustrations themselves feel like a lullaby, delivering a hypnotic effect that will engage young readers while lulling them to sleep. Preschool-Grade 1. Copyright 2020 Booklist Reviews.

On a moonlit night, a family leaves their old house—moving boxes atop the car, children peering wistfully from the backseat—to begin a road trip across state borders. The "bright golden beams" of the vehicle's headlights, the moon, and the young passengers' flashlights are the only sources of illumination in scenes awash in crepuscular colors, and Kuefler uses them to spotlight creatures (bunnies, bats, and owls hide and dart in the dark) and create a feeling of nocturnal adventure. Stutzman's rhyming text flows easily; the refrain—"the night is for"—lends a lullabylike rhythm. Upon the group's arrival, Kuefler uses lamps and candlelight to evoke the family's warm bond, but the verse falls flat as the focus shifts from nature to the indoors, where rhymes ("stories,/ for reading/ and telling.// Of magic and strangers,/ and beans/ they are selling") fail to conjure the outdoor lines' level of discovery. Even so, both nighttime and new experiences are full of mystery and the unknown, and this offering is couched in reassurance and comfort. Ages 4–8. (June)

PreS-Gr 1—The night can be frightening for young children. This sweet book helps them to realize that it is also full of beautiful surprises. The story follows two children and their father driving away from their house at night. With the help of car headlights and the full moon, the brother and sister are amazed at what they see. Deer are along the side of the road and hares are bouncing through the tall grass. A long and winding path through a forest is perfect for searching for animals of the night. The light shows squirrels climbing trees, mice and rabbits scurrying on the ground, and owls. The children see nature using other sources of illumination--lightning and fireflies light up the dark sky. The long, dark journey ends at their new house where their mother is waiting for them with open arms. This calming story for young readers has a soothing rhythm and flows easily. The illustrations are a perfect fit, with the dark background bringing the moonlit objects to the forefront to capture readers' attention. The information about nocturnal animals will help pique the interest of young listeners. VERDICT This is a beautiful bedtime story with a lilting text to lull little ones to sleep.—Barbara Spiri, Southborough Library, MA