What Color Is Night?

October 15, 2019
If you think the night is black, think again. Snider's elegant nocturnal idyll explores the many colors visible to those who "look closer." The dark blue sky, "a big yellow moon beginning to rise," the glow of red neon in the city and of faraway yellow headlights in the country, the glowing green eyes of raccoons on the prowl--it turns out the night is fairly pulsing with colors. Thick ink outlines rooftops, sinuous tree branches, skyscrapers, moths, and more; the appropriately nighttime palette will have eyes straining a bit to see dark-gray outlines against dark-blue sky and black foreground shapes. For all that his shapes are simplified, at times even childlike in their line, the effect is startlingly realistic. The sky above the neon-lit city glows murky orange from the light below; in contrast, "a thousand silver stars spilled across the sky" are crystalline white against the navy-blue vastness above a quiet farm. Text is set primarily in gray and white against dark backgrounds, a large-font serif type ensuring legibility. The stately text and stillness of the images give the book a solemn air that is leavened with, first, "a midnight snack" of Lucky Charms and then a dream balloon flight that takes a brown-skinned child with long puffy hair over a sea of "pink and purple clouds." This will have young readers hoping to stay up for a glimpse of "colors unseen." (Picture book. 3-6)

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November 15, 2019

PreS-Gr 2-This book asks readers to take a moment and think about what colors they see in the night? Is everything just black and white? Snider helps children (and adults) look beyond the darkness and see the beautiful colors that appear in the night. Some of the hues are natural like the golden glow of fireflies, a still blue pond, and the green-eyed radiance of nighttime animals. Others might be man-made (red neon signs, car lights, even cereal!), they still add color to the night. The graphic style illustrations have a deep saturated matte background, which makes the other colors rich and vivid. The text takes the form of a sweet lullaby that will soothe little ones to sleep. Older children might become curious and eager to stay up and explore the many colors of the night. Just as It Looked Like Spilt Milk opened the door for multiple teaching opportunities, so does this book. It brings in the science of nocturnal animals, astronomy, and space exploration. Children can learn more about famous artists such as Vincent van Gogh and his infamous The Starry Night. VERDICT This simple picture book opens children's eyes and minds to things they don't often think about and offers endless possibilities for exploration.-Barbara Spiri, Southborough Library, MA

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