Synopsis
Marie is afraid to sleep overnight in her grandparents' living room until her grandfather gives her a flashlight so that she can see in the dark.
When a young girl wakes up in the middle of the night at her grandparents' house, she is frightened because it's dark and she doesn't know her way around. But her grandfather is there with a flashlight to show her the way and help her overcome her fear of the dark. Color illustrations accompany the text.
| Details | | Publication Date: | 1997-11-01 | | Illustrator: | Stacey Schuett |
| Size | | Height: | 10.5 in | | Width: | 8.5 in | | Thickness: | 0.5 in | | Weight: | 12.0 oz |
Publisher's Note
Waking up in the dark at Grandpa's house can be scary--the door in the hallway looks like a cave, and that noise could be a bear. Lucky for Marie, the bear is really Grandpa, who's come to offer some reassurance and a flashlight that will make the dark house a lot less spooky. The beam of the flashlight makes the shadows disappear, reveals familiar objects, and illuminates the moths and mosquitoes dancing against the screen door. From the warmth of its light comes a newfound strength--suddenly even bears can be tamed, and one little girl's fear of the dark melts away. Stacey Schuett's vibrant illustrations perfectly capture the mood of this bedtime adventure as well as the special bond between a child and her wise grandpa.
Industry Reviews
Taking a fresh tack on a tired theme, James (Mary Ann) arms the young heroine of this picture book against the dark with the gift of a flashlight. At night, everything at Grandpa's house looks strange and scary, but Marie's fears vanish with her grandfather's perceptive present. She quickly discovers that "where I point the flashlight, the shadows run away," and turns from timid fraidy cat into "queen of the night world, Marie!" James zeroes in on the delights of after-dark play, from peering at oneself in the mirror and tunneling under the covers to attracting June bugs on a screen door, and her brisk prose articulates the triumph in conquering one's fear of the dark. Schuett (Somewhere in the World Right Now) skillfully juxtaposes light and dark: the pages glow as if lit from within by the reflection of Marie's flashlight, while out of range of the beam, hard outlines soften into a shadowy nighttime world. Just right for beating the bedtime blues, this book would make an ideal gift when paired with the perfect companion a flashlight, of course. Ages 4-8. (Nov.)
Lopate
PreS-Gr 2 James successfully captures a common childhood fear in this story of Marie, who is spending the night in her grandfather's living room. As the child worries about strange smells and shadows, her understanding grandfather gives her a flashlight of her own. Besides its usefulness in illuminating dark corners, it provides Marie with a sense of power. She becomes "queen of the night world" in control of shadows and moths and light and dark. Finally comforted, she drifts off to sleep holding her trusty friend. Schuett's illustrations blend with the text beautifully to reflect the dark and dreamlike mood, lifted by the addition of the flashlight's beam. White text on black pages contributes to the nighttime ambiance. The feeling of autonomy is well portrayed in Marie's joyous stance. As in her Mary Ann (Dutton, 1994), James takes a problem and adroitly sheds light on a suitable solution. Anne Knickerbocker, Cedar Brook Elementary School, Houston, TX
Lopate
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