The Night is Singing [Hardcover]

Jacqueline Davies (Author), Kyrsten Brooker (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 18, 2006 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

All ready for bed, a little girl lingers, listening to the night’s enchanting music—birds flying, branches creaking, the radiator sighing, the evening singing.

With lilting rhythms and rhyming lines, this gracefully illustrated lullaby evokes that comfy-cozy time of night when sleep is still a blink away. Delightful and soothing, this book is a perfect addition to any bedtime ritual.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1–This perfect bedtime read captures the sounds of a creaky old house in the country as well as the noises outside. Vivid images evoke the contrast between the stormy fall night and the snug coziness indoors: Hear the hissing,/Soft as kissing,/From the radiator grate./Hear the chiming/ Tell-the-timing/Of the hall clock striking eight. Attractive, full-page folk-art illustrations that combine collage and oil paint on gessoed watercolor paper lend an old-fashioned charm to the rural scene and the comfort and security within.–Sally R. Dow, Ossining Public Library, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-K. This atmospheric bedtime book offers a quiet celebration of nighttime sounds. At dusk in a picturesque country village, a little girl preparing for bed identifies after-dark creaks, rustles, and rumbles as "lullabies" sung by the night. Lilting verse in a second-person voice ("Up you go / Tippy-toe") invites children inside cozy domestic scenes, as the rocking-chair rhythms and soothing words demystify scary unknowns: "Hear the hissing / Soft as kissing, / From the radiator grate. . . . The house is singing lullabies." The text lacks a true story line, but it conveys a vivid sense of cocooning safety, unpunctured even in the wake of a "crashing" thunderstorm, and Brooker's distinctive collage-and-paint illustrations effectively juxtapose the bright farmhouse interiors with the increasingly dramatic outdoor scenes. Some of the verse imagery, such as one line involving a pet cat "shadowboxing with your nose," may not speak to children, but kids who harbor bedtime anxieties will gain courage from the notion of a night filled with friendly, serenading presences. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Dial (May 18, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803730047
• ISBN-13: 978-0803730045
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 9.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,463,077 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jacqueline Davies is the talented author of both novels and picture books. Jacqueline lives in Needham, Massachusetts, with her three children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book!, January 3, 2007

By 

JLA (Show Me State) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Night is Singing (Hardcover)

I first read this book after checking it out at the library with my 2 year old grandson. Since then, I have purchased it as part of a baby shower gift, and then purchased another one to keep at my house for reading to my grandchildren. Because the pictures feature a girl, you might think it unsuitable for boys, but we have found that's not so. The rythmn of the words and the beautiful pictures make it interesting for me as well as my grandsons. It is very calming and soothing, and a perfect way for a little one to wind down for a nap or nighttime. We love it!