A worthy addition to the arsenal of bedtime fear-of-the-dark books.
A sleepless kid tackles nighttime fears of lurking monsters with an imaginary army of medieval knights and guardians.
In the shadowy gloom of late night, when sinister beings come out, a protective team takes its place inside and outside the protagonist’s home. Three watchmen dressed in armor stand ready at the front door “with broad shield and heavy sword.” Mounted bareback, “the Horsemen charge, / the Horsemen hunt. / …for all will be outrun.” On the tops of rooftops and trees, a group of Archers aim their bows at the sky. A Midnight Flock of owls swoops in to “search from skies above” while “a fleet patrols the sea.” And in the protagonist’s bedroom “the Knights of Near… / …stand where there is fear.” Deep asleep in “your castle, / …your kingdom” the child can rest assured of the promise made by “THE NIGHT KNIGHTS” that the “night will be still. / The night will be safe.” The staccato, second-person narration is paired with opaque, evocative paintings done in fuchsia and midnight blue that embrace the eeriness of a middle-of-the-night atmosphere. Sharp-eyed kids will note that the powerful warrior images come to life from the protagonist’s toy-filled bedroom. The protagonist is white, with short, mussed hair and blue pajamas.
A worthy addition to the arsenal of bedtime fear-of-the-dark books. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: May 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4197-2846-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: March 17, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2018
Warm but underdone.
In this picture book from actor Gyllenhaal and his partner, Caruso, a child and his uncle bond on a fantastic journey.
Leo, an avid dancer, is dismayed when Uncle Mo visits—he’s in town for a “rubber band convention.” Illustrations show both with wavy brown hair and light tan skin. Not only does Leo think his uncle is rather dull, he’s also leery of Uncle Mo’s many rules. A rather abrupt narrative shift occurs when the pair inexplicably drive into another dimension. Here they encounter Great-Aunt Gloria (who is very tall and presents Black) and Uncle Munkle Carbunkle (who is very short and light-skinned), who guide them through the Secret Society of Aunts & Uncles. Unimpressed with Uncle Mo, Great-Aunt Gloria says he must take a quiz on “Auntieology and Uncleology.” After several wrong answers, Uncle Mo has a final chance at redemption: He must state his nephew’s favorite activity. When Leo springs into action to dance for his clueless uncle, a mishap leaves him mortified and un-bespectacled. Enter Uncle Mo to save the day by using a rubber band to secure Leo’s glasses. While Santat’s energetic illustrations do much to clarify the narrative, they can’t fully make up for the disjointed storytelling—it’s never clear why the two have entered this dimension or why Leo is suddenly so eager to help Uncle Mo. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Warm but underdone. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781250776990
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023
A delicious triumph over fear of night creatures.
Pippa conquers a fear of the creatures that emerge from her storybooks at night.
Pippa’s “wonderfully wild imagination” can sometimes run “a little TOO wild.” During the day, she wears her “armor” and is a force to be reckoned with. But in bed at night, Pippa worries about “villains and monsters and beasts.” Sharp-toothed and -taloned shadows, dragons, and pirates emerge from her storybooks like genies from a bottle, just to scare her. Pippa flees to her parents’ room only to be brought back time and again. Finally, Pippa decides that she “needs a plan” to “get rid of them once and for all.” She decides to slip a written invitation into every book, and that night, they all come out. She tries subduing them with a lasso, an eye patch, and a sombrero, but she is defeated. Next, she tries “sashes and sequins and bows,” throwing the fashion pieces on the monsters, who…“begin to pose and primp and preen.” After that success, their fashion show becomes a nightly ritual. Clever Pippa’s transformation from scared victim of her own imagination to leader of the monster pack feels fairly sudden, but it’s satisfying nonetheless. The cartoony illustrations effectively use dynamic strokes, shadow, and light to capture action on the page and the feeling of Pippa's fears taking over her real space. Pippa and her parents are brown-skinned with curls of various textures.
A delicious triumph over fear of night creatures. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5420-9300-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Two Lions
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
