Bright Winter Night

by Alli Brydon, Ashling Lindsay (Illustrator)

Overview

The forest calls, and creatures come:

big and small, one by one.

They sense there is a task to do

as night descends, replacing blue.

On one bright winter night, a group of woodland creatures emerges from the forest. Despite their differences, they start to build something together, using items found on the forest floor. What are they making? And how quickly can they build it? Something special is happening tonight, and soon the animals are off—in a race to catch a glimpse of one of nature’s most astounding wonders! With lyrical text and sparkling artwork, Bright Winter Night is a celebration of the joy and beauty of nature and the special gift of friendship and togetherness.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781542022248
Publisher:	Two Lions
Publication date:	12/01/2022
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD680L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Author Alli Brydon is inspired by natural wonders and what they can teach us, and she strives to bring that magic to the books she writes for children. Recent picture books include Lobstah Gahden, illustrated by EG Keller, and Love Around the World, illustrated by Wazza Pink. She also writes nonfiction about creatures, from insects to lemurs to humans. Alli holds an MFA in poetry from Sarah Lawrence College in New York and lives in England with her family. Learn more at www.allibrydon.com.

Ashling Lindsay is an artist and writer from Belfast, Ireland. Her picture books are published in more than ten languages and have received various awards and accolades, including a nomination for the Kate Greenaway Medal; being shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, the Klaus Flugge Prize, and the Children’s Books Ireland Book of the Year; and being longlisted for the UKLA Book Awards. In 2020 she was awarded the KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Honour Award for Illustration with her book The Tide, written by Clare Helen Welsh. Learn more at www.ashlinglindsay.co.uk.

Editorial Reviews

Destined to be a favorite bedtime read-aloud.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Awash in shades of purple, blue, and pink, [Ashling] Lindsay’s watercolor and digital artwork project the magic evoked by Brydon’s smooth rhymes, illuminating a magnetic portrait of woodland camaraderie.” —Publishers Weekly

“This winter tale would work well for dusky afternoon story hours in December or a bedtime story; the muted illustrations and the text, which has a perfect scan and beat, begin energetically but slow to soothing, steady levels as the animals settle down to sleep.” —School Library Journal

“With a truly lyrical text by author/storyteller Alli Brydon and the sparkling artwork by artist/illustrator Ashling Lindsay, Bright Winter Night is a celebration of the joy and beauty of nature and the special gift of friendship and togetherness.” —Midwest Book Review

From the Publisher

2022-08-17
A disparate group of animals constructs a large sleigh so they can travel together to watch the northern lights.

“There’s magic in the winter air, / as all the creatures are aware. / A sway and creak as pines bow low, / and then begins the song of snow.” On this initial double-page spread and throughout, simple but eloquent rhymes are complemented by stylized, appealing animal characters that move within a soothing world of pinks, purples, and blues, dotted with flecks of snow and points of light. As the creatures gather, they sense they need to do something. The text describes the animals’ actions; readers will slowly be able to figure out what the creatures are making. Beginning with a falcon and ending with a mouse, a total of eight kinds of animals are introduced, each with their own contribution; the drollest one comes from Bear, whose body provides cushioning for other riders. Wolves pull the sleigh, and the text emphasizes that none of the animals are in danger (“no one hunter, no one prey”) during this expedition. Before the animals arrive to view the northern lights, there is a gently humorous mishap as the sleigh capsizes, and Stag and Beaver valiantly get it back on track. Text and art gracefully advance two themes—cooperation toward a goal and appreciation of nature’s magic—while also lulling restless readers toward naptime or bedtime. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Destined to be a favorite bedtime read-aloud. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews