Night Shadows

Starred review from October 1, 2020
Nocturnal shadows are what fall on an old woman's garage wall as kids repeatedly spray it with graffiti. On the first evening, Mrs. Lucy's body also casts an imposing shadow in her doorway's yellow light as the children escape into the blue darkness. The dramatic, diagonal figure recalls Young's rendering of the mother catching her son in DaCosta's Nighttime Ninja (2012). The next day, a group of boys--silhouetted as a unit--exiles a younger sister as they prepare to play baseball. Tasha encounters Mrs. Lucy painting over the words (which readers never see). The girl offers to help on this day and the next, milk and cookies are her compensation. Skin tone is created with brown paper. The woman's sumptuous robe is fashioned from crinkled gold paper, overlaid with soft blue and lacy green fibers; the girl's shirt is a marbleized magenta and blue pattern. On the third night, the victim hides in the lilac bushes and is shocked that this time the sole vandal is Tasha. Her plaintive explanation: "I just--I just wanted to come over again." Speechless, the woman allows compassion to prevail, promising they have a lot of work to do--together. The rich, restrained text and visually exciting collages build suspense and surprise in tandem. Readers will turn back, now detecting subtle clues. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 64.9% of actual size.) Conversations about motivations and actions will abound as children absorb the impact of grace. (Picture book. 4-7)

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