Dark on Light

(Hardback)

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Description

As the sun sets, three siblings discover natures nighttime beauty in this soothingly rhythmic and gorgeously illustrated bedtime picture book from the acclaimed author-illustrator team behind Green on Green.

Gentle the evening. Sweeping the skies.
Dark the shadows as twilight arrives.
Rose the horizon, gleaming and bright.
Twilight and evening and dark on light.

When the family dog trots away from the house at sunset, three siblings tumble out the door to go find him. Soon they find themselves immersed in the luminous colors, shades, and shadows of nature at nightboth dark and light. They wander through moonlit lavender meadows, past a timid fawn, beneath a snowy white owl, and much, much more as the night deepens until, at last, they find their sneaky pup.

With beautiful illustrations by Felicita Sala and lyrical text by Dianne White thats perfect for reading aloud, this book invites young readers to step into the wondrous, colorful nighttime natural world.

Reviews

"A bedtime chant capable of transforming anyone into a night owl. Sumptuous watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil illustrations show a day shifting from sunshine to twilight to a deepening night sky. Meanwhile, three children are pulling on their boots, grabbing their flashlights, and heading out into a nighttime world as alive as it is welcoming. As the children search and explore, the text repeats the wordsdark on lightthrough mesmeric rhymes. Orange the moon, burnished and bright. / Meadow and owl and dark on light. At last the children peek into a burrow and find their dog, the object of their search. The nighttime is welcoming here, and the children return home to the cozy arms of their parents. Truly the entire enterprise feels similar in tone to Janice May UdrysMoon Jumpers(1959), illustrated by Maurice Sendak, as when the children ramble through fields of fragrant lavender beneath a brilliant sky. This is a book capable of banishing nighttime fears, showing the night to be a time of wonder, exploration, and even comfort. Salas art matches the cadences of the text beat for beat, offering consistently beautiful images of this undiscovered nighttime world....Lilting, haunting, rhyming, and as unforgettable as a dream the daylight just cant quite erase." -- Kirkus Reviews, *STARRED REVIEW* * 9/15/2022 *
"The creators ofGreen on Greenfollow that seasonal work with one focused on shadow and light, centering lulling, mesmerizing sensate verse accompanied by artwork in warm, saturated hues....Closing bedtime scenes in a shared bedroom embody warmth and security... in this quiet celebration of chiaroscuro in the natural world." -- Publishers Weekly, *STARRED REVIEW* * 10/24/2022 *
"Whites wonderful lines giving the essence of the childrens trip...are brought into focus by the accompanying illustrations. Salas illustrations in watercolors, gouache, and colored pencils have a detail, depth, and color that embody the text while fleshing out the story into a comprehensive whole. VERDICT Text and artwork beautifully in tandem to tell of a successful search and to evoke the feelings of joy that nature can stir. The book works on many levels and would make a good addition to most libraries." -- School Library Journal * 11/1/2022 *

Author Bio

Dianne White lives in Gilbert, Arizona, with her family. She is the author ofWho Eats Orange,Blue on Blue,Green on Green, andDark on Light.

Felicita Sala is a self-taught illustrator and painter. She has a degree in philosophy from the University of Western Australia. She now lives and works in Rome. She draws inspiration from nature, children, mid-century illustration, folk art, and architecture.