If You Were Night

August 1, 2020

PreS-Gr 1-A child in a grey hooded onesie gazes out of the window at the starry night, then wanders out into the garden, in answer to the second-person lyrical questions that comprise the story. Each query begins with "If you were night" and offers a choice-"Would you stretch and rise and step out, too?"-as the illustrations depict which option the small protagonist decides to pursue in the nighttime garden, whether it is to "skitter like a startled mouse," or "join in the thrilling hunt" with an owl. After exploring the delights of the nocturnal world with its many sounds, smells, and creatures, the child returns home and dozes off in bed as the dawn lightens the sky beyond the window. The soothing text is quietly lovely, while Pousette's breathtaking cut-paper illustrations carry the story, their captivating interplay of softly illuminated landscapes in muted greens, pinks, and blues, and starkly dark sky perfectly capturing the magical atmosphere of a peaceful night. VERDICT A quirky but appealing story, suited for a one-on-one bedtime reading or inspiring imaginations in story hours.-Yelena Voysey, formerly at Pickering Educational Lib., Boston Univ.

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 15, 2020
A child explores a busy nocturnal world. "If you were the night / and you saw the moon / tiptoe past your window," begins this poetic story, "would you nestle under the covers? / Or would you stretch and rise / and step out, too?" The beige-skinned child in a gray, hooded jumpsuit observes a host of nighttime animals and joins in their activities; a raccoon rooting through trash, frogs singing, an owl hunting. The gorgeous, shadowy illustrations leap off the pages, three-dimensional paper constructions that manage to balance the darkness of night with the brightness of nature. The text attempts an ethereal style, reminiscent of Julie Fogliano's If I Was the Sunshine (illustrated by Loren Long, 2009), but never quite makes the leap into the loveliness it's clearly aiming for. The central conceit, personifying "you" as "night," is promising but also stops short of making sense; night does not "skitter like a startled mouse," "shrink from the cold," or "hide behind a shadow," and a sudden shift to first person, in the form of a quiet deer, never resolves. Despite these issues, the overall tone of the book and the calming, soothing arc, will help this find some success as a bedtime story. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 19% of actual size.) An ambitious idea that slightly misses the mark. (Picture book. 3-7)

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September 1, 2020
Preschool-G In this lovely ode to nightlife, a child in a gray onesie foregoes sleep to explore the outdoors beckoning at the window. They step out the front door into a lush landscape of flower-dotted hills and green bushes beneath an ink-black sky, where nocturnal creatures are busy going about their evening routines. For each animal the child spots, the text pauses on the scene and asks what you would do in the same situation: If you were night and you saw a spider scuttle and pull, would you sweep aside the trap? Or would you roll up your sleeves and stitch by starlight, too? The child invariably chooses to join each animal in its activity, sensing the joy and wonder that follow. The poetic story is transformed by Pousette's breathtaking artwork. Intricate, three-dimensional cut-paper scenes fill each two-page spread with plants and animals that cast shadows as if caught by moonlight. Kids will want to study every page and ponder what they would do if they were nocturnal creatures, too.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

November 2, 2020
In this intricate picture book, Va˘n invites readers to imagine themselves as night via inviting verse that focuses on animals’ actions: “If you were night/ and you saw a spider scuttle and pull,/ would you sweep aside the trap?/ Or would you roll up your sleeves/ and stitch by starlight, too?” Pousette’s engrossing illustrations envision the “you” as a pale-faced child in a shadow-colored onesie, a figure that creeps among leaves and rides atop owls. Cut paper colored with pastels and set against a star-studded black sky in a diorama setting adds texture and dimension to the nature-focused landscapes. Though older kids may best appreciate the stylish, evocative language in this quiet readaloud, readers of all ages will marvel at the art. Ages 3–7.