By the Dawn's Early Light [Hardcover]

Karen Ackerman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1994 | Age Level: 5 and up

In gentle prose and warm, appealing pictures the author and the illustrator present a story that is a familiar one in many families. Mom leaves for work just as Rachel and her younger brother, Josh, are helping their grandmother set the table for dinner. Sometimes, Rachel hears Mom come home. She wakes Josh and they go downstairs to share quiet time. Full color.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2-As Mom leaves for the graveyard shift at the factory, her two children begin their evening routine under the care of their grandmother. Home activities are then contrasted with Mom's at work, until her 4:00 a.m. return when the children sneak out of bed for one-on-two cuddling and sharing. Told from the eight or nine-year-old daughter's perspective, the text is honest without being maudlin or bitter: "We are a little mad because everybody else's parents work during the day, but neither one of us wants to say so." Warm, often impressionistic watercolor illustrations accurately convey the misty, wee-small hour setting as well as the glow of family relationships. Characters are predominantly African-American females. The large format is fine for group reading, but the intimacy of the story invites independent, quiet reflection. A reassuring affirmation of intergenerational love, regardless of circumstances.
Claudia Cooper, Ft. Stockton Independent School District, TX
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 4-7. Since Mom works the night shift, Josh and his bigger sister, the narrator, say good-bye to her around dinner time and see her again in the early morning, when she comes home from work. The first half of this quiet picture book shifts back and forth between the children's nighttime routine with their grandmother and their mother's evening at the box factory. The last half shows the sleepy, loving morning the children spend with their mother, waiting for the dawn's early light. Ackerman manages to convey her own feelings while retaining the childlike voice. Even though she wishes her mother didn't work the night shift, the girl is clearly fascinated by the details of what her mother does at the factory. Opening up the story with her luminous, watercolor artwork, Stock depicts the characters and their surroundings with intimacy and grace. The simultaneous publication of the book in Spanish (with a generally good translation) adds another dimension to this unusual picture book. Carolyn Phelan

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 1 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum (April 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689317883
• ISBN-13: 978-0689317880
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,336,876 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars from a childrens lit student, May 13, 2001

By 

Katie (NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: By The Dawn's Early Light (Paperback)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! i'm currently enrolled in a children's literature class as a sophomore in college. This was one of the books I picked up to read as part of our assignment. I love the illustrations, the prose, and the message that this book is trying to convey. Whether you are a mother or father that works the graveyard shift or a stay at home parent, this book can be enjoyed by all!