Turn On the Night

Starred review from June 13, 2016
A giddy sense of possibility permeates this enchanting wordless story. Valério (My Book of Birds) opens with an overhead view of more than a dozen homes, clustered in a field of supernaturally green grass underneath an inky night sky. Zooming in brings readers closer to one home, where a dog and chicken sleep outside, and into the bedroom of a girl asleep in her bed, a chicken doll in one arm and a book (this one) in the other. A page turn finds the girl transformed into a giant white wolf that soars out the window and then bounds across the grass. A chicken and a deer join up with the wolf, and together they run, howl at the heavens, and pluck a giant star from the sky, which sets the girl’s bedroom aglow with celestial light after the adventure is done. Dwelling in images of sinuous animals, sweeping landscapes, and the sheer joy of running for the sake of running, Valério’s paint and pencil artwork almost vibrates with the idea that not even the sky is the limit in one’s dreams. Ages 4–up.

Starred review from July 15, 2016
A little girl falls asleep--clutching her picture book and her stuffed-animal hen--and a joyous, wordless adventure unfolds.Before the page showing the sleeping, light-skinned girl, there is a double-page spread with a wide expanse of green grass, over which layers of brush-stroked blues show the start of a starry night. There are simple structures: a doghouse with a large tail sticking out, a henhouse with a hen inside, and a turquoise-blue house, where the girl sleeps. Her house has a caribou weathervane. All the animals on that page recur in the next double-page spread: the dog on the book cover; the hen as her toy; the caribou as a lamp. The girl seems to become the dog as a giant, furry form leaves behind an empty bed and leaps out the window in the next tableau. Dog, caribou, and hen move through the darkening night, find a golden orb in the sky, and eventually give it new purpose. There is no danger lurking in this dreamlike tale; all is sweet whimsy. The stylized, brightly colored animals are friendly and cooperative, figuring out together how to access the tantalizing star. It is hard to choose a favorite among the illustrations, which use composition, form, and color to full advantage to animate the three animals and spin a magical tale. More than a bedtime story: a treat from a masterful artist. (Picture book. 2-5)

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October 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 1-A youngster's imagination soars to the stars in this stunningly illustrated wordless picture book. Tucked into bed with a book in one hand and a stuffed chicken in the other, a girl dozes off, transforms into a willowy canine creature, and springs out of the open window for a fanciful adventure. The protagonist is soon joined by two traveling companions-a chicken from the backyard coop and a majestic antlered animal-and all three gleefully bound across the nighttime landscape. Spotting a bright beacon in a twinkle-filled sky, they work together to snatch the star and then return to their starting points, the canine critter leaping back through the window with starburst clasped in mouth. A page turn shows the sleeping girl, her room now star-strewn and aglow with warm light. Featuring lithe, robust animals that stretch across simply drawn backdrops, the acrylic paint and color pencil illustrations are inundated with imagination-empowering possibility. Images of the three figures reoccur in different incarnations (on the cover of a book, on a lampshade, as a weather vane), encouraging readers to flip pages back and forth, seek out details, and construct their own narratives. VERDICT Perfect for one-on-one or small group sharing, this is an eye-pleasing and dream-dazzling delight for bedtime or anytime.-Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2017
In this vibrant, magical, wordless book, a girl sleeps in her bed, a toy chicken by her side and a toy reindeer standing in the corner. A table lamp and a string of lights wrapped around her bedframe are both off. Dreaming, the child transforms into a wolf and launches out the window into the night. She meets the chicken and the deer, now animate, and the trio stretches into the heavens to collect a brilliant yellow star. Coming down from the sky, they bid one another farewell, and the wolf-girl returns to her bedroom to sleep, the lights in her room now shining with the star's golden glow. Valerio's stylized imagery (the wolf's tail doubles as a flamboyant wing) grounds the narrative with a folk-like simplicity, which contrasts with the story's abstracted, supernatural sweep. Though the rich-hued illustrations, in a limited palette, are largely spare, observant viewers will notice small things such as a deer-shaped weathervane on top of the girl's house and a book on her bed that seems to mirror the story. Prismatic sparkle on the dust jacket and the cover underneath signals something special. thom barthelmess

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)