Singing the Dark [Hardcover]

Gail Sproule (Author), Sheena Lott (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

A nightly routine becomes a gentle ritual in this special bedtime story. When evening comes, a little girl asks her mother, "Will you sing the dark tonight?" With that request, mother and daughter begin a unique ritual. Nightgown is pulled on, teeth are brushed, face is washed and hair tangles are carefully smoothed. Then, hand in hand, mother and daughter go out into the garden to welcome the night. While crickets call out and dew falls, Mother sings a song to the coming dark. And as her daughter joins in, they watch the black night settle around them. At last the song is over and it’s time for bed. This enchanting story is an ideal bedtime book. The gently rhythmic text is matched by gorgeous watercolor paintings, filled with the delicate hues of an approaching night. The result is a story that should be a welcome addition to any bedtime routine.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

reS-Gr 2-Beautifully rendered watercolor paintings and a poetic text give readers an insider's view of a special mother-daughter bedtime ritual. Some nights after Kaylie is ready for bed, she and her mother walk out across their lawn and sing together to welcome the coming darkness. Much of the story is told through the lush illustrations, which depict with equal care a flower garden on a summer night and a smiling, blue-eyed girl right down to her pearly teeth. The progression of the evening is also caught as the colors move from gold to peach to lavender and dark blue. The visual perspective shifts in terms of angles and distances, and includes a striking rear view of mother and daughter from the knee down, the foreground filled with their long evening shadows and the gravel drive they are crossing. Warmly reassuring in both concept and execution, this bedtime story will hold its own in a crowded field.

Faith Brautigam, Gail Borden Public Library, Elgin, IL

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 4-7. As the sun begins to set, Kaylie asks her mother, "Will you sing the dark tonight?" Singing the dark is a treasured ritual Kaylie and her mother have created to welcome night. In her long, white nightgown, face and teeth freshly scrubbed, Kaylie ventures out into the flower-filled garden with her mother beside her. Then Kaylie's mother begins to sing: "Calling warm, velvet darkness . . . to blanket the ground . . . making day things sleepy . . and wakening the night." Soon Kaylie joins in, and from the garden "two voices are rising, one big and one small, to welcome the coming of a dark summer's night." The sweet, lyrical text is brought to life by Lott"s lovely, flowing watercolors. Light-streaked sunsets, shadowy garden scenes, and inky moonlit spreads show the passage of time and create a soothing, gentle atmosphere in which mother and daughter play out their special nighttime ritual. A charming addition to any bedtime story collection. Lauren Peterson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Fitzhenry and Whiteside; 1 edition (June 27, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1550416480
• ISBN-13: 978-1550416480
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 9.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,067,598 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic, enchanting, highly recommended story, October 17, 2001

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Singing the Dark (Hardcover)

When a young girl asks her mother to "sing the dark tonight", she and her mother begin a special ritual. With nightgown on, teeth brushed, face washed, hair tangles brushed, the girl and her mother go out into the garden to welcome the night. While crickets call and dew falls, Mother sings a song to the coming dark. As her daughter joins in they both watch the black night settle around them. With the song over, it's time for bed. Gail Sproule's original and wonderfully narrated picturebook story is marvelously illustrated with gorgeous watercolor paintings by Sheena Lott. The result is a classic, enchanting, highly recommended story that is perfect bedtime reading for parent/child bonding -- and a true literary treasure for future generations of parents and children.