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dembury's review against another edition
3.0
This was an artful little book, but I think the black and white palette combined with a POV that slowly creeps closer and closer into the house makes it a tad eerie. The repetative pattern could definitely be soothing to young readers, though! I think this is very much going to be a hit or miss with children.
book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
Illustrated by Beth Krommes
Swanson was inspired by nursery rhymes / poems handed down through many generations, featuring cumulative patterns (such has The House That Jack Built). In this book, she names all the objects, both in and outside a house at night time, that are familiar and comforting to a child: a key, a bed, a book, the moon, etc. In this way a child examines and is comforted by his/her place in the greater world.
I remember reading cumulative pattern books to my baby brother, my nieces and nephew. They were delighted by the repetition and occasional rhymes. This book didn’t have that same kind of repetition. I see where Swanson was inspired by those types of nursery rhymes and poems, but I didn’t “hear” the magic in the words.
Beth Krommes was awarded the Caldecott Medal for her illustrations. The pen and ink drawings are uniformly dark, with spots of golden yellow light .. from the moon, or a bedside lamp. They are times very focused (an adult hand holding a key), and at other times panoramic (a bird flying across the landscape of a town), but always show the child in relation to this universe. All of them are wonderfully detailed. 4**** for her artwork.
Swanson was inspired by nursery rhymes / poems handed down through many generations, featuring cumulative patterns (such has The House That Jack Built). In this book, she names all the objects, both in and outside a house at night time, that are familiar and comforting to a child: a key, a bed, a book, the moon, etc. In this way a child examines and is comforted by his/her place in the greater world.
I remember reading cumulative pattern books to my baby brother, my nieces and nephew. They were delighted by the repetition and occasional rhymes. This book didn’t have that same kind of repetition. I see where Swanson was inspired by those types of nursery rhymes and poems, but I didn’t “hear” the magic in the words.
Beth Krommes was awarded the Caldecott Medal for her illustrations. The pen and ink drawings are uniformly dark, with spots of golden yellow light .. from the moon, or a bedside lamp. They are times very focused (an adult hand holding a key), and at other times panoramic (a bird flying across the landscape of a town), but always show the child in relation to this universe. All of them are wonderfully detailed. 4**** for her artwork.
amelody's review against another edition
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
kitsuneheart's review against another edition
4.0
Tree in the hole and the hole in the ground and the green grass grows all around. A story of nesting items, with rather striking artwork. Really, it's a book whose success entirely depends on the art. Which would be hit or miss with kids.
The artwork is done primarily in black, with spare white lines to give outlines. And just a few hints of a bright gold-yellow on each page, progressing in prominence as the book goes on. There's lots of little details in the pictures, so if you're kids like doing seek-and-finds, this might catch their fancy. If your kids are story-driven, it's going to do nothing for them. So make sure you know your kids, and try it from the library before purchasing.
The artwork is done primarily in black, with spare white lines to give outlines. And just a few hints of a bright gold-yellow on each page, progressing in prominence as the book goes on. There's lots of little details in the pictures, so if you're kids like doing seek-and-finds, this might catch their fancy. If your kids are story-driven, it's going to do nothing for them. So make sure you know your kids, and try it from the library before purchasing.
claudia7799's review against another edition
Cumulative poem. Beautiful illustrations, good for younger kids but older kids would be bored
littlevance's review against another edition
5.0
A poetic journey through the night. Little text per page. Beautiful illustrations that make this book a work of art and delight for parent and child alike.
thaoeatworld's review against another edition
3.0
Circular story structure, intriguing illustrations, not that engaging of a story overall.
bookish_smorgasbord's review against another edition
5.0
A charming cumulative poem with incredible scratchboard and watercolor illustrations, Cronos Pro Semibold Display text.