First Pink Light (Paperback)

~ (Author), Jan Spivey Gilchrist (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The creators of Nathaniel Talking and Night on Neighborhood Street again pool their considerable talents for a sympathetic and accessible tale. Like a one-act play, the story's scope is small: a boy talks his mother into letting him wait up for his father's return. The focus here is not on just the events, however, but also on the emotions involved--Tyree's elation with the cardboard fort he hides in while his mother does her homework, his sweetly transparent manipulations to get his way and, finally, as the "first pink light" of dawn appears, his welcome surrender to sleep. Accordingly, Gilchrist's illustrations focus on those windows of emotion, the faces. Her portraits are suffused with ardor and affection, and help create fully realized characters. Kudos also to this duo for their loving depiction of an African American family with a strong father figure. This tender book is a valuable addition--but needn't be limited--to the multicultural bookshelf. Ages 4-11.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1-- Tyree is determined to stay awake until his father, who's been away from home for a month, returns in the morning. He wants to hear `` . . . daddy's hard shoes on the steps, and hear his daddy's key clicking in the door.'' Mother finally tucks him in a chair to wait. Tyree does fall asleep, but it doesn't matter in the pleasure of his father's homecoming. Without sentimentality, and in flowing natural language, Greenfield shows the loving interaction of a young black child and his parents. Gentle watercolor illustrations enhance the feeling of a close family relationship. Tyree's emotions, from his stubborn refusal to go to bed to his fight to keep awake, are shown in his posture and on his face. The father is a handsome, smiling man set against a background of the warm ``first pink light'' of morning. First published in 1976 and illustrated by Moneta Barnett (Crowell; o.p.), the story has been given an updated look with full-color illustrations and a larger format. There is more emphasis on closeups of Tyree, and the faces of all three characters are more individualized and realistically expressive. This is a loving family story that will have strong appeal for a new generation of children. --Karen James, Louisville Free Public Library, KY
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Writers & Readers Publishing (September 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0863162126
• ISBN-13: 978-0863162121
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.5 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,299,537 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars magic in the morning, January 29, 2001

By	Charli Rose (Independence, MO) - See all my reviews

A little boy is too excited to go to sleep, his Dad is coming home from a trip and he wants to stay up to greet him. Mom says OK, but suggests some ways to be "more comfortable" while he's waiting. Dad is coming home when the sun first hits the sky and makes a pretty pink light. This was one of my favorite books as a child. The pictures are so soft and sweet. Whenever we would leave for a vacation, my parents would say we would leave at the first pink light in the sky. This is a gentle, touching story about a loving family. If you have a child too excited to go to sleep, this should be the bedtime story to choose.