Mama, What Is the Night?

PreS-Gr 3–A small child asks a variety of night creatures to explain what is the night. The responses represent the experiences of familiar animals, such as worms, owls, and cats, as well as less common ones, such as jellyfish, bats, and tarsiers—even a night-blooming cereus has a comment. Glowing illustrations on a black background illuminate the pages. The text, in unwieldy verse, is printed clearly on one page and then repeated, embedded within the illustrations. Small bits of information regarding the lives of nocturnal animals is offered. Young children will benefit from exposure to a variety of viewpoints on one subject, showing the subjectivity that each creature brings to a single question. The last to answer is the child’s mother, who envelops her small family in a loving embrace while she explains that the night is for “dreams and sweet delight.”