Under the Night Sky [Hardcover]

Amy Lundebrek (Author), Anna Rich (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 31, 2008 | Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Winter has a special beauty for those living in northern climates--even for those who live in cities. And winter nights can provide the most spectacular sights of all! To her son's great surprise, a working, single mom breaks her routine one night and rushes her son downstairs to join their neighbors as they spontaneously celebrate the beauty of the northern lights--the aurora borealis. Nature is the central character in this story, and the spell it weaves provides this mother and son with a special moment they can look back on with great happiness.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1–3—A boy and his mother experience the magic of the northern lights with their neighbors. At first, the dark colors and mysterious tone of the first-person narrator seem foreboding as the mother hurries home from her evening job and orders her son to put on his outdoor clothes. Although she assures him that nothing is wrong, he and the other children who have been rushed into the building's parking lot to sit atop their cars are confused until they look up to view the night sky. The panoramic painting of the purple and green bursts of color against a star-studded sky is breathtaking. The boy describes what he sees: "Sometimes the color oozes from one part of the sky to the other. The lights twist like colored ropes. They flicker like colored flames." His mother takes advantage of this beautiful moment to whisper that she will always be on his side, even if they disagree on things. The art is done in a dark palette, and the text appears to one side on a white background that sharply contrasts with the illustrations. There are few, if any, picture books about the aurora borealis. This one fills that gap nicely.—Martha Simpson, Stratford Library Association, CT
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Review

"Gr 1-3 A boy and his mother experience the magic of the northern lights with their neighbors. At first, the dark colors and mysterious tone of the first-person narrator seem foreboding as the mother hurries home from her evening job and orders her son to put on his outdoor clothes. Although she assures him that nothing is wrong, he and the other children who have been rushed into the building's parking lot to sit atop their cars are confused until they look up to view the night sky. The panoramic painting of the purple and green bursts of color against a star-studded sky is breathtaking. The boy describes what he sees: "Sometimes the color oozes from one part of the sky to the other. The lights twist like colored ropes. They flicker like colored flames." His mother takes advantage of this beautiful moment to whisper that she will always be on his side, even if they disagree on things. The art is done in a dark palette, and the text appears to one side on a white background that sharply contrasts with the illustrations. There are few, if any, picture books about the aurora borealis. This one fills that gap nicely." --School Library Journal, August 1, 2008

"We've read a number of books about the Aurora Borealis, but this is a nice change from the run-of-the-mill story. I loved that the community celebrated together. The illustrations, like the story, offer the colors of the night." --The Reading Tub, August 28, 2008

2009 Mom's Choice Award, Children's Picture Books, Crossing Generations --Mom's Choice, 2009

"Rich's dark, jewel-toned colors light the night sky and reflect on the faces of the neighbors. Her paintings tremble with a feeling of anticipation and a sense that magic is in the air. Lundebrek's debut celebrates nature's power to transform the ordinary." --Kirkus Reviews

"...a charming story about a working single mother and her young son, whom she wakes up in the middle of the night to go see the northern lights. Under the aurora borealis, the two have a lifelong bonding moment. Books celebrating single-parent families are all too rare, and this one is a valuable addition to any collection." --Teaching Tolerance, Fall 2009

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Tilbury House Publishers (May 31, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0884482979
• ISBN-13: 978-0884482970
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 9.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,004,493 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Amy Lundebrek was born in Osceola, Wisconsin in 1975 and currently lives in Champlin, Minnesota with her husband, Ryan. She has a B.A. degree in Biology and works as a Technical Correspondent for R&D Systems. She enjoys hiking and camping, canoeing, target archery, and snowshoeing. Under the Night Sky, which won a gold Mom's Choice Award in 2008 and a gold Moonbeam Award in 2009, is her first published book. She continues to write.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great story about community, and awesome illustrations., June 28, 2008

By 

Reuben Herfindahl (River Falls, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Under the Night Sky (Hardcover)

This reminds me somewhat of a more grownup version of Ezra Jack Keats childrens' classic The Snowy Day. It captures all the wonder that only a kid can have of nature. But what really makes it special is the not the northern lights in the story, but the spontaneous community get together set in a realistic overworked world. It reminds us that not only do we sometimes take nature for granted, but our neighbors as well.

Great read, I've read it for all my kids.

3.0 out of 5 stars A Curious Book, January 11, 2012

By 

Will Riddle "and Jaime Riddle" (Cincinnati) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Under the Night Sky (Hardcover)

I got this book as part of a unit on stars we were doing. I must say, it is a curious book. I am still not sure what to make of it. It is about a bunch of children being woken up in the middle of the night to watch the Northern Lights, and they are all taken up in the wonder. The book does a good job of portraying the awe of the display--the illustrations are dark and mysterious, and you get a strange sense of fantasy from it that is probably appropriate for anyone who is a committed naturist or stargazer.

On the other hand, I think it is trying too hard to be a coming-of-age or awakening story. The kids are being raised by a single mother who has come home from a late shift in a greasy factory. A whole bunch of working class parents are trying to surprise and enlighten their children through this magical experience. Then child and mother exchange a strange one-liner morality lesson in the midst of star-gazing... "When you get older, you and I might disagree about some things...Just remember these lights, how they dance." There are other overtones but nothing is developed enough to really understand what is going on. Another reviewer likened this story to Ezra Jack Keats' Snowy Day, and I think that's appropriate. Maybe "Stand and Deliver?" But it seemed a little cliche here for some reason.

Not that that is a dealbreaker. Actually my main criticism is that there is no explanation of the Northern Lights. I am not even sure it is mentioned by name, that that is what is going on. Maybe that was on purpose so the focus could just be the magical feelings inspired by the stars, but I would have found more value in the book had a little bit more information been injected in there. My kids had no idea what was going on.

5.0 out of 5 stars Potent and awe inspiring, September 4, 2009

By 

Charlene A. Baumbich "author of the Dearest D... (Glen Ellyn, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Under the Night Sky (Hardcover)

Beautiful. Tingly. Important. Potent. Wonderful message about wakefulness, joy in the moment, the grace of sharing and the intimate bonds of family.