Don't Climb Out of the Window Tonight - Hardcover

McGilvray, Richard

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0416186297 ISBN 13: 9780416186291

Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1993

Synopsis

An exploration of the imagination of a small child lying in bed wondering what might be lurking outside. Jogging giants, aliens and raining monsters prove that bed is just the cosiest and safest place to be

About this title

From Publishers Weekly:

Written by a seven-year-old, this endearingly goofy picture book reflects a playful illogic. A girl peers into the darkness, apparently in search of nighttime escape, but always finds a sensible reason for not venturing forth. "Don't climb out of the window tonight," the text warns 11 times, as a multitude of magical beasts, scary monsters and creatures from outer space lurk just beyond the window. Alligators take a midnight swim in the pond, bushes are home to Frankenstein and comrades, and witches hide behind the wall. Although the language is often musical ("giants are jogging by") and does not betray the author's age, the brief, deadpan text gradually loses its power to surprise. In contrast, Snow's dynamic artwork adds comic depth, with an unusual scratchboard-like look conjuring up a mythical night world. Beasties grin and leer in oversize absurdity, their rotund figures hinting of less-than-malevolent natures. Ages 3-7.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal:

PreSchool-A variety of creatures-spooks, witches, bats, and aliens-make a list of 10 reasons NOT to climb out of a bedroom window. A turn of the page shows disaster awaits, although the repetitive pattern of the rudimentary text diminishes the impact of each new double-page spread, and the punch line is not strong enough to carry the text. The dark blues and greens in the illustrations and the heavy crosshatching establish a believable nighttime setting, yet their busy technique often overshadows the fanciful images. This book is meant to be exciting, but it is a less-than-stellar effort that may bore children who had no intention of climbing out the window in the first place.
Martha Topol, Northwestern Michigan College, Traverse City, MI
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 1993
• ISBN 10: 0416186297
• ISBN 13: 9780416186291
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Alan Snow