STARLIGHT SYMPHONY

Striking photographs and smooth rhymes celebrate the music of the night.

In this clever appreciation for the natural world, Silverman compares overnight sounds on a quiet pond to an orchestra’s instruments. Deceptively simple verse forms a smooth, easy-to-read-aloud narrative that takes little ones from dusk to dawn. Along the way, the author describes the behaviors and sounds of a bevy of birds and beasts. The sun sets on a quiet pond (“The lighting dims. / The curtain lifts”). A coyote “bugler” howls at the moon. Finally, a robin greets the coming day with its traditional song. From the wood thrush singing “a flutist’s airy melody” to the bullfrog’s tubalike “jug-a-rum,” the animals and instruments presented here are well chosen. Silverman’s graceful words mirror the dazzling stock photographs. The drumming woodpecker, referred to as “she,” is in fact paired with a photo of a female of the species. Other animals include a cricket, a toad, a bittern, beavers (the kits are “the sand block players,” their tail-stamping father is the timpanist), a wood duck, and screech owls. In the afterword, more capable readers can learn about the musicians, the instruments, and how the sounds are made. Whether a bedtime story for the very young or a nature text for early elementary schoolers, this title has broad appeal and utility.

Perfectly pitched for its audience.