Night Is Coming (Picture Puffins) [Paperback]

W. Nikola-Lisa (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1997 | Series: Picture Puffins

A child imagines everything and everyone on her grandfather's farm settling down at nightfall, in a soothing bedtime story complemented by glowing, full-color artwork. Reprint. PW. "

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-- Evocative landscape paintings bolster a lackluster text in this slow-paced reminiscence of nightfall on a family farm. A narrator (unidentified at first) leads readers on a tour, inventorying the sights and sounds--a "whippoorwill's hollow song arising," the "sun glowing like a jack-o'-lantern," "lambs bleating as they nestle warm and close." As dusk deepens, the child and her grandfather sit on the front porch, watching night approach. With the darkening sky, the pacing of the narrative becomes contrived--"Night is coming. Is coming. Is."--and the identity of the narrator becomes blurred when the text continues after the girl falls asleep. Henterley's dramatic paintings give the story a depth it otherwise lacks, while whimsical touches--rabbits hopping out of the hay field, mice peeking from behind a pumpkin--provide visual surprises. Interesting perspectives and pleasing compositions are unfortunately rendered in an inconsistent palette, making some pictures unreal and almost too vibrant for the hour. A lopsided effort, the illustrations overwhelm the unoriginal text. For a better sense of mood and place at night, stick with Cynthia Rylant's Night in the Country (Bradbury, 1986) and Reeve Lindbergh's Midnight Farm (Dial, 1987). --Dorothy Houlihan, White Plains Public Library, NY
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (May 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140562281
• ISBN-13: 978-0140562286
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 7.9 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,756,378 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

W. Nikola-Lisa's interest in writing books for children began as an elementary school teacher. He is the author of numerous picture books, including the award-winning Bein' With You This Way (Lee & Low), Shake Dem Halloween Bones (Houghton Mifflin), The Year With Grandma Moses (Henry Holt), Setting the Turkeys Free (Hyperion), and How We Are Smart (Lee & Low), a Christopher Award recipient. An accomplished storyteller and musician, Mr. Nikola-Lisa enjoys sharing his writing experiences with audiences--young and old--whenever possible. For more information about Mr. Nikola-Lisa go to www.nikolabooks.com or visit his storytelling blog at nikolabooks.blogspot.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Text and pictures help children imagine, March 18, 2006

By 

L. Wagner "Mrs. Wagner, Kindergarten Teacher" (Nashua, MT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Night Is Coming (Picture Puffins) (Paperback)

[...] Although the text may not be appropriate for a 1 or even 2 year old, as a Kindergarten teacher, I find this book very useful to help the children imagine the breeze blowing against their cheek and to imagine hearing the sounds of the story. They like it! The pictures are so beautiful, but I have read this book just as a listening exercize, pausing after each page to see if they "felt" what was described in beautiful imagery. It's a great book to bolster the imagination and vocabulary of a child.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sweet, peaceful, bedtime book, February 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Night Is Coming (Picture Puffins) (Paperback)

This book is a great before bed book. The art is beautiful, and the words are full of imagery. Excellent for any child.

5.0 out of 5 stars Our Favorite Book for Autumn, October 8, 2008

By 

J. Norrell "Sleep Deprived Mommy" (Mansfield, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Night Is Coming (Hardcover)

This is by far our favorite book for the Fall season; the words perfectly enhance the beautiful pictures. We especially love the picture of the sun setting behind the hickory tree and pumpkin patch. This will make anyone want to pack their bags and move to the country.