The Midnight Fair

Animals whirl in teacups, ride the roller coaster under the moon, and leave at dawn, tired, happy, and a bit sticky. The wolf, at the edge of a lake, releases a goldfish won at the ring-toss booth. Gorgeously whimsical and utterly convincing.

This splendid story needs no words: gorgeous landscapes celebrate nature's beauty, while luminous renderings of the carnival depict magical moments. Children will savor this glorious, wordless night to remember.

The glowing watercolor, gouache, and colored-pencil illustrations are atmospheric and brilliantly rendered through lush washes of color and intriguing contrasts of dark and light, illuminating the setting and depicting an engaging tension between the wildness of the animals and the humanness of their behaviors and activities as fairgoers.

Captivating spreads by Di Giorgio (Professional Crocodile) tell a wordless story about a night of magic for a forest's animal denizens. Golden eyes glow in the dark as the last human closes up a pop-up county fairground and heads out. When he's gone, two enterprising raccoons throw the big power lever back on, and the animals stream in through a fence opening. Painting from close up, Di Giorgio creates the sense that viewers are part of the crowd, and bathes every spread in brilliant, theatrical light. Animals large and small ride the swings, the roller coaster, and the carousel, paying for their tickets with forest currency: blackberries, acorns, and pinecones. A wolf tosses a ring and wins a goldfish, and a hedgehog waddles by, quills studded with treats. Sterer (From Ed's to Ned's) imagines candid moments as a fox parent reclines in a spinning teacup while its kit holds on to the rim with rapt attention. Morning comes, and with it, a quiet, hurried retreat. Watching a whole forest full of creatures encounter the fair delivers a sheaf of unexpected delights--especially when they take pleasure in all the same things their human counterparts do. Ages 3-7. (Feb.)

Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

"In Mariachiara Di Giorgio's beautiful and atmospheric paintings, wild creatures watch a grassy fairground from a safe distance as carnies set up tents, rides and food stands. . .Wordless and eloquent, "The Midnight Fair" offers true enchantment for children ages 3 to 8." —The Wall Street Journal 

"Gideon Sterer and and Mariachiara Di Giorgio's The Midnight Fair may be a wordless picture book, but its story is clear, compelling and utterly enchanting. . .Through clever use of framing and perspective, Sterer and Di Giorgio invite readers to be a part of each moment...Every inch of illustrator Di Giorgio's art is captivating, from a scene in which the silhouetted creatures' eyes glow in the dusk as they emerge from the woods to a poignant moment by the lake near the story's end. But when the carnival lights come on, her illustrations become truly spellbinding. Gleaming and golden, The Midnight Fair radiates magic. It's truly exceptional." —BookPage (starred review)