Bright in the Night

“For children who are afraid of the dark, this book is the perfect way to turn the scary into the fascinating.”

This beautiful nonfiction picture book turns scary darkness into magical light with its exploration of all the kinds of lights there are in this world—and beyond. From phosphorescent fish to glowing animal eyes, different kinds of light, both reflected and projected, are presented.

Each page features a type of light. Some are predictably in the sky, like the Northern and southern lights, but light-generating organisms, both plant and animal, are also featured, as well as artificial lights such as neon signs and fireworks. Totally encapsulating, this is a book to be slowly savored, a few pages at a time. The text is too dense and, by the very nature of the book, too episodic, to devour in one sitting.

The writing is clear, the examples well-chosen, and the art suitably dark with bright spots of fascinating color. When the end of the book brings the light of a new day, the sense of a sunrise, of day dawning, is palpable in the page turn.

Bright in the Night offers a distinctive way to make darkness warm and friendly by revealing all the lights there are, both hidden and seen. For children who are afraid of the dark, this book is the perfect way to turn the scary into the fascinating. For those who are already intrigued by the mysteries cloaked in darkness, the pages will satisfy their curiosity about all the many kinds of lights glowing around us.