House in the Night

The house in the night is lit, first by the lamp, then by the moon which is lit by the sun. Inspired by the traditional nursery rhyme "Here is the key to the kingdom," House in the Night is a gentle rhyming chiastic poem that reminds children (especially those afraid of the dark) that there is light in every house in the night.

The illustrations are unique for a soothing bedtime book. Scratchboard was used for the outlines, with yellow accents for the points of light in the night landscape. Illustrator Beth Krommes uses geometric shapes and strange angles. Each page is crammed with objects and designs. This tends to give the book a cramped and dizzying feel. On top of that the stark black and white makes the already complex illustrations harder to follow. Krommes' style is certainly unique and visually complex, for which attribute it won the 2009 Caldecott medal. But as a children's book, House in the Night's claustrophobic style may fail to hold the interest of its primary audience.

Review by Lauren Shearer Lauren Shearer writes words for fun and profit. She also makes films, but everyone knows you can't make a profit doing that. Her other hobby is consistently volunteering way too much of her time. You can read more of her reviews here.

Review by Lauren Shearer
Lauren Shearer writes words for fun and profit. She also makes films, but everyone knows you can't make a profit doing that. Her other hobby is consistently volunteering way too much of her time. You can read more of her reviews here.