The House in the Night
The House in the Night is a perfect picture book to read on a winter’s evening with its themes of nighttime adventure, coziness, and the comfort of one’s home and family. I don’t know much about kids, but I think it might be a great one to read if you’re trying to curb a child’s fear of the dark. Simple, lyrical text and dreamlike scratchboard illustrations in black, white, and yellow promote a feeling of peace I find similar to that experienced when practicing Tai Chi (which I also highly recommend.) I had read this one while killing time in my local library before a class but found that I needed to check it out anyway in order to fully absorb its content. I can’t say enough about the amazing artwork: the details, the overall contrasting effect, the texture–it’s fantastic! I particularly enjoyed the ever-present kittens and the version of Vincent Van Gogh’s The Starry Night. Words aren’t even necessary for this work. If only all books were illustrated!
