Orion and the Dark

by Emma Yarlett, Emma Yarlett (Illustrator)

Overview

Now a Netflix film!

Orion is very scared of the dark—until Dark decides to pay him a visit!

Orion is scared of a lot of things, but most of all he’s scared of the dark. So one night the Dark decides to take Orion on an adventure. Emma Yarlett’s second picture book combines her incredible storytelling and artwork with die-cut pages that bring the Dark to life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763675950
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	03/24/2015
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	10.40(w) x 10.40(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Emma Yarlett graduated from University College Falmouth in 2011 and since has been very busy with writing and illustrating. She lives in England.

Editorial Reviews

Reminiscent of Oliver Jeffers, Yarlett’s illustrations are a joyful mix of digital collage, sketchbook, and saturated watercolor done in a palette of blueberry and Starburst candies. Many pictures invite close inspection, adding quirky details that fill out the story. Orion’s adventures replace fear with fun, ending with a hug, a new friend, and a well- traveled pair of bunny slippers. Only sweet dreams ahead with this one.
—Booklist (starred review)

The mixed-media artwork is engaging and expressive.... A funny, savvy bedtime story that addresses common fears.
—Kirkus Reviews

The varied images are gorgeous to look at, and they will leave readers feeling fortunate to have witnessed these two protagonists' starry-eyed mutual affection.
—Publishers Weekly

Night-shy children will find companionship in Orion and comfort the Dark's gentle, friendly appearance, while grown-up readers will invent excuses to keep this book on their own shelves.
—BookPage

With detailed illustrations that pop off every page, this story is a wonderful exploration of how sometimes the things we fear the most are just things we don't understand
—Shelf Awareness

Strong support for those with unspoken fears, this book is a recommended first purchase for all libraries.
—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

2015-02-03
A friendly, benign-looking creature called the Dark takes the boy Orion on a fear-conquering adventure. The mixed-media artwork is engaging and expressive. Orion is a comical-looking tyke with a large, round head under a striped, knitted cap. The Dark has a soft, rounded form. Its mottled-blue skin is bedecked with stars, and its features are two round, white dots above a simple, white smile. At two points, its kindly, huggable arm literally emerges from the page. Orion tells the tale, beginning by illustrating several of his fears. Children will identify strongly with some and giggle over others; they range from wasps to popping balloons to Grandma—pictured as a red-outlined old woman whose speech bubble says "ROAR." The Dark shows Orion that such places as Under the Bed and In the Basement can be not only fear-free, but fun. Orion eventually allows a trip to "the awful place where the dark is darkest of all." That turns out to be "the night sky," pictured here and throughout as a starry, light-filled place, and hard to match with Orion's declaration that it makes his "knees wobble" and his "tummy twist." Detracting from the artwork and some great humor are production problems: Some text is almost indiscernible against dark backgrounds, and likewise, some of the art is too small to read some words. A funny, savvy bedtime story that addresses common fears. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews