Monica Wellington chronicles the nighttime goings-on of a bustling metropolis in this bold and vibrant nonfiction picture book. Each nighttime hour reveals a new scene, some lively and some quiet. At seven o'clock, ballet dancers warm up for a performance. At midnight, a guard makes his rounds at the art museum. Near dawn, truckers deliver their fruits and vegetables to the city's markets. Monica Wellington, well known for her brilliant, graphic illustrations, has filled these nightscapes with her hallmark vivid colors and surprising details. Views of the city sweep from soaring skylines to silent streets to the interior of an all-night diner. A treat for dreamers and night owls alike, this book shows young readers many nighttime jobs that help keep the city running all day.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
Ages 4^-8. "The sun falls. Darkness rises." >From seven at night until seven the following morning, while you're sound asleep in your bed, the city stays wide awake--dancing, cleaning, fire fighting, baking, and more. With an urban backdrop that looks as if the architect of record were Piet Mondrian, Wellington's graphically arresting and gorgeously colored double-page spreads depict a different activity for each succeeding hour. The text, in describing the evening events, doesn't try to compete with the illustrations, but is nevertheless artful in its own understated right. Cleverly tying the entire episodic progression together are a striped cat and a bevy of mice that turn up in each spread--sometimes in unlikely places! Look closely for them and for the timepiece discreetly placed in each picture to proclaim the hour. And for art lovers, there's even more sly fun in the details: a cookie looks like a painter's palette, homages to Munch and Mondrian hang on walls, a sky and a bed are borrowed from van Gogh, etc. Like the 10 o'clock painter depicted in the book, Wellington "paints what she sees with her eyes--and with her imagination." As a result, this surprising book grows more satisfying with each rereading. Michael Cart
From Kirkus Reviews
A prose portrait of the city at night shows all the things that go on while a little girl sleeps. The city's ``soaring towers glow. Its people work--no matter what the hour.'' It is obvious that Wellington is in love with big-city living, using its many facets in one fascinating night. Dancers rehearse, firefighters put out blazes, the staff cleans an office building, an artist goes to work in her studio, a night watchman makes his rounds at a museum in just a few of the congenially depicted scenes. Dark backgrounds make Wellington's characteristic dots and squares of color glow, while her familiar mice and cats frolic through every scene. The text imparts plenty of information, offering windows on new worlds for children; all the while the little girl sleeps, secure in her vital, vibrant home town. (Picture book. 4-8) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well written and colorfully illustrated,
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This review is from: Night City (Hardcover)
My 5-year old daughter and I both loved this book! The illustrations are very bright and colorful, and really held her interest. The text is also well written--it doesn't talk down to a child, but explains simply what goes on in the city while she sleeps. It got my daughter thinking about life outside her little circle of reality.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful book about city life,
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This review is from: Night City (Hardcover)
"Night City" gives you an hour by hour overview of life in the big city, as observed by her ever adorable little critters. In this case, a child's cat and his mouse cohorts. You can really feel Ms. Wellington's love city life through the vibrant illustrations that take you a typical big city night. You treated to a view of the cultural highlights to a city along with culinary, service sector and public sector jobs that are vital to modern life. The bold colors make for a visually attractive book that my daughter adores. The text is straight forward and an excellent read for younger children. We also love to scour the pages for the wonderful details: finding the mouse with the trumpet, which mouse is now holding something related to the scene, where is the clock? This book is a real treat if you can find it.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An interesting look at all things nocturnal,
By
This review is from: Night City (Hardcover)
Being the night owl that I am, this book certainly caught my eye. Plus, there's the cutest little kitty on the front cover, not to mention mice (what IS it about the mice in childrens' books? There's something so endearing about them). This brightly-colored book shows children what happens at each hour of the night and early morning in the city (ok, we're talking about industrious people here, not street bums). There's a lot of great information which will open their eyes to the world at night, but I like all the little details: a clock on each page, little mice hiding throughout the book (performing the funniest antics!) and best of all, the view from a window bearing a remarkable resemblance to Van Gogh's "Starry Night". The bold illustrations are certainly a plus, inviting kids to read through this one over and over again.
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