Twilight Chant

by Holly Thompson, Jen Betton (Illustrator)

Overview

A lyrical exploration of the transition between day and night and of the animals who thrive during this special time.

As day slips softly into night, sharp eyes catch glimpses of the special creatures who are active at dusk.

Lyrical text and lush art capture the richness and life of this magical time in a sumptuous picture book that will inspire budding naturalists and anyone who has ever chased a lightning bug at twilight. An author’s note about twilight is included.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780544586482
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	03/20/2018
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 10.60(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Holly Thompson was raised in New England and is a longtime resident of Japan. The author of the children’s novels in verse Falling Into the Dragon’s Mouth, The Language Inside, and Orchards, Holly teaches creative writing and splits her time between Japan and Massachusetts. Visit her online at hatbooks.com and on Twitter at @hatbooks.

Jen Betton is a freelance illustrator and college art instructor. She holds a BFA in painting from the University of Central Florida and an MFA in Illustration from Syracuse University. Twilight Chant is the first picture book she has illustrated. She lives in Arlington, MA. Visit her online at jenbetton.com and on Twitter @JenBetton.

Editorial Reviews

"A lovely, lyrical visual and verbal exploration of the wonders of twilight."—Kirkus Reviews "A lovely science picture book."—Booklist "A visually and poetically beautiful title that sneaks in some animal facts as well. Perfect for storytime or individual sharing. A must-have for most libraries."—School Library Journal —

From the Publisher

03/01/2018
PreS-Gr 1—In the glow of twilight, family members pack up their beach things and walk home. The lyrical text introduces readers to various animals (including egrets, deer, rabbits, fox, fireflies, skunks, and june bugs) out and about at twilight as the illustrations depict them and tangentially follows the humans' progress as they wend their way home. Betton's beautifully realistic watercolor spreads fully capture the colors of twilight and the wonderful details of the animals while never quite losing sight of the family walking home in the background. Thompson's lyrical text cleverly mentions a new animal at the end of each spread then in the following two pages expounds on it. This stylistic repetition is very effective and also opens the door for an effortlessly interactive storytime. An easy-to-understand "About Twilight" page is appended, in which Thompson explains what twilight is; the differences between diurnal, nocturnal, and crepuscular animals; and lists the creatures in the book. VERDICT A visually and poetically beautiful title that sneaks in some animal facts as well. Perfect for storytime or individual sharing. A must-have for most libraries.—Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH

School Library Journal

2017-11-22
As twilight arrives, the crepuscular creatures emerge.In twilight's "sun has just gone down light," egrets "fly to roost" and swallows "skim above the fields," while deer "come out to graze." In twilight, bats "swoop and swerve" and rabbits hop and nibble. Leaving their dens, foxes "sniff out birds and voles" and firefly lights blink off and on. "The skunks slink over lawn," the June bugs seek leaves to munch, and stretching cats prowl for mice. Thompson's languorous, cadenced lines poetically capture the light-infused stillness of this special time of day by repeating both the word "light" at the ends of many phrases as well as the phrase "twilight the low light"; the design enhances the effect by carefully positioning the spare text on the page for maximum effectiveness. Betton's realistic, double-page illustrations, in watercolor, pastel, and colored pencil, showcase animals, insects, and birds mentioned in the text in their native habitats, active and vibrant against the luminous lavenders, pinks, blues, and yellows of the twilight sky. A useful note "About Twilight" explains the period of low light "after sunset and before sunrise" when crepuscular animals are active, listing those visible in North America and featured in the text and in close-ups. A lovely, lyrical visual and verbal exploration of the wonders of twilight. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews