Lizi Boyd

The tall format holds surprises for readers in this sophisticated, engaging book of opposites. Indeed there is a big bear and a small chair but there is also a big penguin and a little iceberg and other even less likely juxtapositions. Illustrations use limited but strong color and bold lines with a unique result.

Inside a tent it’s cozy. But what is going on outside? Is it dark? Is it scary? Not if you have your trusty flashlight! Told solely through images and using a spare yet dramatic palette, the author has crafted a masterful exploration of night, nature, and art. Both lyrical and humorous, this visual poem — like the flashlight beam itself — reveals that there is magic in the darkness.

Split pages encourage young readers to look carefully at the cheerful illustrations with bold lines and simple forms. As night approaches, a page turns to reveal no one is hiding and soon, almost everyone sleeps!

There are things to do indoors and outside. But the inside goes outside and the reverse with cutouts on pages in this attractive wordless book. Simple lines and flat colors are appealing on brown paper, and encourage careful — and multiple — examinations.