Song for a Summer Night

PreS-Gr 2--"Day's left the stage. Night's in the wings. The summer air sings what a summer night brings." Looking down at the park below, the children wait by their windows to see the night show, and gradually, as the light from the sky turns pink, blue, and lavender, the night creatures come out, starting with the fireflies ("glint-glint"), the bellflowers ("pring-pring"), the raccoons ("tra-la-la")...until the moon goes to bed, the animals leave, the children fall asleep and waken next morning "humming night's tune." Each verse for each animal reiterates the sounds of the flora and fauna before, tempting the listeners to join in. The poetry is a soft and lovely lullaby, and the repetition of sounds will delight young readers. The delicate illustrations, fashioned with ink and brush and digitally colored in pastel tones, evoke the beauty of the quiet night with perfect charm. VERDICT This is a book to be savored at nighttime one-on-one, or read aloud to a small group who can chime in on the fun.--Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA