In the Dark

by Kate Hoefler, Corinna Luyken (Illustrator)

Overview

A young girl steps into the woods and brings two communities separated by misunderstanding together.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593372838
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	08/29/2023
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	6.38(w) x 11.75(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD420L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Kate Hoefler is the author of several picture books, including Nothing in Common (illustrated by Corinna Luyken), Great Big Things, Rabbit and the Motorbike, and Real Cowboys, which received two starred reviews and was a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year. Kate received her MFA in poetry from the University of Michigan, where she was a Colby Fellow. She lives in Ohio with her family.

Corinna Luyken is the author-illustrator of ABC AND YOU AND ME (June 2023); THE TREE IN ME (an NCTE Notable Poetry Book and Indie Bestseller); MY HEART (A New York Times Best Seller); and THE BOOK OF MISTAKES (which The Wall Street Journal called “sublime”). She is also the illustrator of IN THE DARK (Aug 2023) and NOTHING IN COMMON, both written by Kate Hoefler; PATCHWORK (A New York Times and Kirkus Best Picture Book of 2022), written by Matt de la Peña; SOMETHING GOOD and ADRIAN SIMCOX DOES NOT HAVE A HORSE, both written by Marcy Campbell; and WEIRD LITTLE ROBOTS, written by Carolyn Crimi. She was raised in Oregon, California, and Hawaii; and studied dance improvisation, poetry, and printmaking at Middlebury College in Vermont. She now lives near the Salish Sea in Olympia, WA with her husband, daughter, and two small cats.

Editorial Reviews

2023-05-24
Prejudice collides with neighborly goodwill when love and truth overcome superstition.

“They came in the dark and took the narrow path that only witches used. Everyone said that’s what they were.” A suspicious text laden with ill will and shadowy scratch-lined art full of foreboding imagery fills the top half of the page. On the bottom half, however, a different narrative takes place. The top is told from the perspective of villagers who eye the people in the woods with suspicion bordering on outright accusation (“They brought cloaks and brooms—so many brooms”), while the bottom half is a gentle counterpart (“We brought cloth and wooden handles”). Turns out, the people in the woods are constructing beautiful bird kites to fly. And when harsh winds tear away those kites, the now remorseful villagers bring supplies of their own to help the people of the woods fly their birds again. Certainly the resolution to the conflict between the two groups comes with unrealistic ease, so the true lures here are the art and design. The split pages, containing two conversations at once, require a certain level of sophistication on the part of young readers. Meanwhile, Luyken imbues her art with a palette of blacks, greens, purples, and golds that hint at more than just misunderstandings in the shadows. Characters are diverse.(This book was reviewed digitally.)

A marvelous mix of autumnal spirits with a deeper call for understanding. (Picture book. 6-9)

Kirkus Reviews

"A story....told with a spare, lyrical prose that invites engagement. Luyken’s art....truly gives the feeling of an autumn bonfire glowing through the chilly shadows and brambles." —The New York Times

★ "Magical and astute, In the Dark sheds light on building community through kindness, compassion, and connection." —Booklist, starred review

"A marvelous mix of autumnal spirits with a deeper call for understanding." —Kirkus Reviews

"Via a perspective-oriented picture book that’s printed to flip vertically, the creators delicately explore a community divided." —Publishers Weekly

"Hoefler's text is atmospheric and lyrical; Luyken's mixed-media art....excels at portraying the eeriness of the woods as well as their benign reality." —The Horn Book

"A bold venture in storytelling will appeal to children for its overall atmospherics and the twist in the plot." —School Library Journal

From the Publisher