Imagine a Night (Hardcover)

~ (Painter) "imagine a night . . . . . . when snow white sheets grow crisp and cold, and someone whispers, "Follow me..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4 Up-Magical realism permeates Gonsalves's large acrylic paintings, and they are essential to the lyrical text. For "imagine a night when-you can hear a farmer play his fields to sleep," the artist depicts a man playing a fiddle on a porch in front of a field of sunflowers-but no, the flowers have human faces, leafy bodies, and green-gloved hands, and they are bowing their heads in sleep. A painting of children riding their bikes up a flight of stairs accompanies "imagine a night when you might find that gravity doesn't work quite as you expected." A girl walking in a church cloister suddenly looks over her shoulder and discovers that she's not alone, as the pointed church windows become hooded monks forming a procession. In the back of the book, each painting is repeated in miniature with its actual name. This is a fascinating foray into the imagination and a fine discussion starter for older children. For another look at things that are not what they seem, pair it with Guy Billout's Something's Not Quite Right (Godine, 2002).
Marianne Saccardi, Norwalk Community College, CT
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

Imagine a night when you can ride your bike right up the stairs to your bed. Imagine a night when your toy train rumbles on its tracks out of your room and roars back in, full sized, ready for you to hop on for a nighttime adventure. Imagine a night when a farmer plays a lullaby on his fiddle, and his field of sunflowers begins to dip and sway to the rhythm. Imagine a night when ordinary objects magically become extraordinary...a night when it is possible to believe the impossible.

With the intrigue of an Escher drawing and the richness of a Chris Van Allsburg painting, renowned Canadian artist Rob Gonsalves depicts that delicious time between sleep and wakefulness, creating a breathtaking, visual exploration of imagination and possibility that will encourage both children and adults to think past the boundaries of everyday life, and see the possibilities beyond.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Baby-Preschool
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum (June 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689852185
• ISBN-13: 978-0689852183
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 11.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #169,063 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very imaginative book!, June 17, 2003

By	"jnolan2196" (Saint Peters, MO United States) - See all my reviews

Based upon a series of paintings by Rob Gonsalves, the author has magically created a book of transformation. The paintings and the text are both wonderful and work very well together. This book would be inspiring to anyone. It is imaginative, creative and uses rich language...something important for the development of children into good writers. I intend to use this book in my classroom for an interesting writing assignment that will also require the students to delve into their imaginations.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 4 and a half but willing to be generous, October 26, 2005

By	Bruce A. Dunn "Ebonic Plague" (Aurora, CO) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I gave this book 5 stars to balance it with the 4 that I gave his other book; Imagine a Day. Both books are awash with the same wonderful surrealism. Its a trip to another world on par with Escher. Unfortunately the trip is far too short, only 16 paintings. His two books should be combined to one in my opinion but other than that a great experience.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful art!!!, December 13, 2003

By	CDMacKenzie - See all my reviews

The art in this book by Rob Gonsalves is wonderful!! It is filled with imagination and an awesome use of unusual, yet clever, perspective. Figures emerge from nature, buildings emerge from canyons, priests emerge from cathedral windows...the list goes on and on. The limited text in the book is more of a reflection of the paintings rather than the other way around. I didn't need the text for the book to inspire me. If I were rating the text alone, it would be so, so. The paintings are what make this book spectacular! The book should be considered for most all age groups. Even though it appears to be geared more toward a child audience (because of it's size and the typestyle/font), I wouldn't buy this book for a small child. However, I think it could be appreciated by those 10 and older.