Wynken, Blynken, and Nod

WYNKEN, BLYNKEN AND Nod one night
Sailed off in a wooden shoe–
Sailed off on a river of crystal light
Into a sea of dew . . .

So begins Eugene Field’s lovely bedtime poem, which tells of three wee fishermen who sail up to the stars, and a boy who imagines it all before he drifts off to sleep. Field’s timeless text has lulled generations of little listeners into dreamland, and this version, complimented by Giselle Potter’s magical illustrations, is perhaps the most enchanting—and the closest to Fields’ own vision—of all.

Eugene Field (1850–1895) is best known for his children’s poetry.

Giselle Potter is the illustrator of The Boy Who Loved Words by Roni Schotter, which received two starred reviews, The Littlest Grape Stomper by Alan Madison, and Kate and the Beanstalk (a Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal Best
Book and ALA Notable Book). She lives in Kingston, New York.