In the Middle of the Night - Hardcover

Henderson, Kathy

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 051713327X ISBN 13: 9780517133279

Publisher: Random House Value Publishing, 1994

Synopsis

This picture book shows the reader the nocturnal urban world. In the middle of the night a mother walks her wakeful child up and down; outside, the shops are dark and the last train has gone; window-cleaners come to high-street shop fronts; a dust cart rumbles its way to the dump; bakers mix dough for the morning's bread; an astronomer watches the night sky through her telescope; and in the hospital, someone very old dies and a baby is born. Kathy Henderson has also written "Sam and the Machines" (one of "Parent's" magazine's Best Books for Babies), "15 Ways to go to Bed" (shortlisted for the Smarties Prize), "Second-Time Charley", "Jim's Winter" and "Pappy Mashy". Jennifer Eachus won the Benson and Hedges Gold Award for Illustration in 1982.

About this title

From School Library Journal:

PreSchool-Grade 2-- `` . . . when it's very very late/ when even dogs dream/ and there's deep sleep. . . ''--then the night workers, the cleaners, the bakers, the astronomers begin their tasks. The romantic, poetic prose conveys the sense of mystery and stillness surrounding late-night activities. The realistic, yet atmospheric, illustrations are full of shadows and have an air-brushed look that softens all forms. Both text and artwork capture a hint of humankind's ambivalent feelings toward night. Some pictures, such as the dark street shown from the vantage point of a feral cat prowling through the trash, or the dim view across a hospital ward where an old person takes his last breath play into readers' subconscious fears. Others, such as the astronomer looking out through the open dome of the observatory ``watching the good black sky,'' give evocative glimpses of space. There is also a reassuring sense of security in scenes of a bakery, or a baby newborn or a mother hushing a cranky child. This is a mood piece rather than a straightforward explanation of nocturnal happenings, valuable for the feelings it awakens. --Karen James, Louisville Free Public Library, KY
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Random House Value Publishing
• Publication date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 051713327X
• ISBN 13: 9780517133279
• Binding: Hardcover