NIGHT LIGHT

What to do when the lights go out?

A lanky, striped creature with short dark hair, two thick stripy horns, a slender tail, and a carrot-stub nose begins to read a monster book to a small striped Mini-Me, who appeared in Emberley’s I Did It! (2022) and Let’s Go! (2023). Suddenly the characters are plunged into darkness. It’s a blackout. “Too dark!” says the little creature. The big one gropes for the flashlight, but its batteries are failing. Outside the window, the moon and stars shine. The big critter climbs an endless ladder, harvests stars in a bag, and releases them to light the room. “Too bright!” Sunglasses do the trick—but after the bedtime book is finished and the door closed, the sounds of sobbing wake the small sleeper: It’s the moon, mourning a too-dark sky. The little one insists on putting the stars back, so the caregiver and child fling them out the window, keeping just one for the room. Still too dark! Finally, the pair climb to the roof and sleep under a million night lights. Devoid of streetlights, their cityscape seems like a fantasyland. This graphic novel for the youngest set features minimal text that’s nevertheless steeped in meaning. Emberley balances relatable moments and adorable interactions with themes of problem-solving and appropriation versus sharing, while his deliciously quirky illustrations feature rich colors that elevate the cartoon-style characters.

A truly stellar nighttime adventure.