As we transition from summer to fall in the northern hemisphere, I’m savoring the last warm nights spent in a garden, as it’s so lovingly depicted in this Perfect Picture Book.
Title: In the Night Garden
Written & Illustrated By: Carin Berger
Publisher/Date: Holiday House, Neal Porter Books/2023
Suitable for Ages: 4-8
Themes/Topics: nature, bedtime, night, seasons, wonder, lyrical
Opening:
In the night garden fireflies look like fallen stars.
Moonflowers unfurl and release their intoxicating perfume.
In the night garden you can lie
on the cool grass and look up to the
millions and trillions of stars…
Brief Synopsis:
A lyrical bedtime story about the mysteries to be enjoyed in the nighttime garden.
Links to Resources:
- Grab a blanket, flashlight or lantern, and some warm milk or chamomile tea, and venture out into your back garden or local park. How is it the same as daytime visits to this space? How does it differ? What do you hear? See? Smell?
- Check out these firefly craft and reading suggestions;
- Enjoy some crafts and books related to the Night Sky.
Why I Like this Book:
In the Night Garden is a lyrical ode to slowing down and savoring the wonders of nature by a different light. The calming, low-word-count text and expansive, collaged illustrations invite us, the readers, to join a young girl and her cat and experience a special space that changes with the seasons.
And if you become frightened in the “darker than dark” and if you hear “sounds that you don’t know”, there’s no need to be afraid – natural occurrences like foxes hurrying home or winds blowing through trees might be the cause. And some sounds, like a “slow stream” murmuring, the songs of bullfrogs or crickets, or the hoots of an owl could lull you to sleep, the ultimate objective of any parent at bedtime.
The detailed collages and lyrical text invite multiple readings, and the repetition of certain characters, like the cat, encourage young children to inspect each spread to find familiar images.
A Note about Craft:
In the Night Garden encourages you, the reader, to experience this special space. I think addressing us directly helps readers focus on the many wonders explored and brings an intimacy to the experience.
In an email announcement of the book’s release, Berger stated that the collages were “made, painstakingly, by hand with all sorts of paper and ephemera, including really old materials like grocery store ledgers from the 1800s and vintage letters. I love these materials because they contain hidden stories and mysteries.” Including these layers adds visual interest and detail that enriches the entire experience.
Wander, Ponder, Write 