At Night, They Danced

by Victoria Scott-Miller, Toni D. Chambers (Illustrator)

Overview

Two brothers don’t know what to make of their parents spending their date night at home in this charming picture book celebrating the joy of a close-knit family sharing a special evening of togetherness, fun, and love.

Langston and Emerson get super excited when their parents go out for date night. It means their favorite babysitter will stay over, and there will be slime-making, couch jumping, and pizza! But this date night is different. Mom and Dad are getting ready to go out, but they’re staying...home.

When the brothers devise a plan to figure out what their parents are up to, they discover something beautiful.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781665927819
Publisher:	Denene Millner Books/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	03/04/2025
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Victoria Scott-Miller is a Raleigh-based author, documentarian, and owner of the trailblazing, independent, globally recognized Liberation Station Bookstore. She is committed to creating uplifting stories about the potential of Black and brown children. Victoria attributes her writing style and inspiration to her experiences growing up in her birthplace of Memphis, Tennessee. When she is not championing the amplification of Black voices, she enjoys traveling, hiking, roller-skating, and visiting art museums with her husband Duane and their two sons, Langston and Emerson. Visit her at VictoriaScottMiller.com.

Toni D. Chambers (she/her) is an electric lady born and raised in Southern New Haven, Connecticut. She earned her BFA in illustration at the University of Massachusetts. Currently, she is living her best life as an illustrator in Landover, Maryland. Born to Jamaican immigrant parents, Toni has always considered family, culture, and the arts prominent, inspiring forces in her life. She’s always wanted to be an artist, whether as a dancer, actress, or singer. Her passion for reading and storytelling led her to a career as an illustrator.

Editorial Reviews

01/06/2025

In a celebration of “what love looks like,” Scott-Miller (Miss Edmonia’s Class of Wildfires) crafts a heartwarming tribute to parental date night from the perspective of two children. Siblings Langston and Emerson love the freedom they experience during their parents’ weekly outings (“One day a week, four times a month, fifty-two times a year, it’s like a holiday”). Ahead of the evenings, they help Dad shave and watch Mom leave two lipstick kisses on the front hall mirror. But tonight, with no explanation, their parents seem to be kicking back at home. There’s “no babysitter. And Mom and Dad have their day clothes on.” The kids are less than thrilled (“On date nights there’s no bedtime, and we get to have pillow fights”). The evening proceeds with dinner and a Miles Davis album, until a post-bedtime event sees the parents honoring date night—and the kids invited to join the fun. Chambers (Dear You, Dream Big!) captures the characters’ connection through vibrant, sketch-like illustrations that focus on the warmth of prioritized bonds. Characters are portrayed with a range of brown skin tones. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly