The night world

Title:

The night world

Author:

Gerstein, Mordicai, author, illustrator.

Summary:

Sylvie the cat persuades her boy to go into the darkness very late at night, where they are greeted by the shadows of roses and other flowers, and by nocturnal animals who whisper, "it's almost here."

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

1 v. (unpaged) : col. ill. ; 28 cm

Genre:

Picture books.

Subject Term:

Night -- Juvenile fiction.

Color -- Juvenile fiction.

Cats -- Juvenile fiction.

Animals -- Juvenile fiction.

Geographic Term:

Sun -- Rising and setting -- Juvenile fiction.

Publisher:

Little, Brown and Company,

Publication Date:

2015

ISBN:

9780316188227

Publication Information:

New York ; Boston : Little, Brown and Company, 2015.

Call Number:

P GERSTEIN

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003100503	Picture Books	GERSTEIN	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Everyone in the house is sleeping, but outside, the night world is wide-awake.
It's a wonderful night to explore!
Perfect for bedtime, this book from Caldecott Medalist Mordicai Gerstein celebrates the secrets of the night world and the joys of the sunrise.

Author Notes

Mordicai Gerstein was born in Los Angeles, California in 1935. He attended the Chouinard Art Institute in California. He designed and directed animated films for twenty-five years. In 1970, he met author Elizabeth Levy, who asked him to illustrate her children's book Something Queer Is Going On. He has illustrated all of the books in her Something Queer series. He decided to try his hand at writing. His first picture book, Arnold of the Ducks, was published in 1980 and adapted into an animated film. He has also retold many ancient religious stories, such as that of Jonah in his book, Jonah and the Two Great Fish. He has won many awards including 2 CINE Golden Eagle Awards from the International Film and Television Festival of New York.

(Bowker Author Biography)

Reviews (2)

School Library Journal Review

PreS-Gr 2-The shadows of a summer night sing the promise of morning to a boy and his cat as they venture out into the dark yard surrounding their house. In the introductory scene just before the title page, the redheaded boy, tucked in bed in his darkened room, addresses the black cat curled above him, gazing through the window at the dusky world. "Good-night, Sylvie." Sylvie, it soon appears, is not ready for sleep and meows insistently until the two tiptoe through the sleeping house and out into the nighttime shadows. Gerstein's roughly sketched scenes with well-chosen detail are done on gray art paper, a fine choice for these shadowy night views. The early indoor scenes are boxed against the outer page. Heading for the open door, Sylvie hints, "It's coming...hurry." The dark outside opens fully on a spread and is soft and comfortable with shadows everywhere. "Are those shadows roses? Are those lilies and sunflowers? Where are their colors?" Soon the shadows reveal a great variety of animals that begin to echo Sylvie's hint. "It's on its way...here it comes...It's almost here." Eventually a glow appears above the trees, the shadowy animals slip away, and the world gathers color, leading to a full burst of sun. Boy and cat rush into the house to announce the beautiful day. Gerstein adds a personal note about his early childhood discomfort with the outer night world and his lifelong love of sunrise. Children will surely respond to his simple scheme, beautifully crafted with spare text and with much to enjoy in the homely views of house and yard. VERDICT This is fun bedtime fare, but so much more-parents and teachers will find many possibilities for conversations about night and day.-Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston (c) Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publisher's Weekly Review

Caldecott Medalist Gerstein (The Man Who Walked Between the Towers) lifts two everyday miracles up for celebration-the way that night transforms objects into unfamiliar forms and shadows, and the way that morning restores them to their original splendor. One morning before dawn, a black cat jumps onto the bed of a boy. "Me-out!" Sylvie tells him. "It's coming." Gerstein paints the two as black shapes on soft gray; as they creep through the house, sleeping family members and bulky pieces of furniture create graceful, abstract compositions. For Gerstein, night is not a problem to be solved. The boy wanders without anxiety, and everything unfolds with a sense of leisurely pleasure. He wonders at the starry sky ("The air is warm and sweet.... This is the night world. There are shadows everywhere") and struggles to identify familiar things. "Are those lilies and sunflowers? Where are their colors?" Now, animals begin to gather in anticipation: deer, an owl, a porcupine, rabbits. "It's coming," they murmur. What's coming is clear, but readers will find their hearts beating faster despite themselves. The sky begins to lighten, becoming a pale, milky green. A turn of the page and the sky grows brighter; the animals retreat: "This is our bedtime." Yet another page turn, and the boy greets the rising sun. "It's here!" says Sylvie. The sun casts long yellow rays, and the flowers are revealed in all their glory. It's a remarkable achievement, gratifying for the way simple pencil lines and casual strokes of color are used to create the luminous spreads. Gerstein's sure eye and patient observation of each moment of the dawn provide all the drama this narrative needs. Ages 3-6. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.