In the Middle of the Night - Softcover

Henderson, Kathy

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0744531438 ISBN 13: 9780744531435

Publisher: Walker Books, 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.

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.

Edition details

• Publisher: Walker Books
• Publication date: 1994
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0744531438
• ISBN 13: 9780744531435
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 25