The Night Frolic

A dream come true for readers seeking a new bedtime story.

"Where do children go when they drift off to sleep?" This beckoning, otherworldly flight of fancy by Berry (Cranky Right Now) imagines a velvety realm to which children are carried "in silver ships over ribbons of moonlight," sailing amid merfolk and through polar lands. After encountering the Night Tiger and her cubs, the Moon, and the Night Walrus, the kids arrive at a North Pole pavilion where the Night Elephant issues greetings and the Great Frolic begins. Holding musical instruments of all kinds, a dancing, winding throng of children and creatures spills out into the open, "sailing, soaring, somersaulting," until "the Old Serpent that encircles the world" wakes, smiles, and reminds them to sleep, and a warm breeze sends the children "into their soft beds." Zollars (The Truth About Dragons) illustrates the drift of dreamy, querying prose with candy-tinted, digitally colored art, portraying the assembled, gape-mouthed whirlwind of children with a variety of skin tones. Berry's mesmerizing prose sounds like a saga from another world, and this vision of journey, adventure, and happy clamor offers both antidote to and fodder for sleep's dark mysteries. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Alyssa Eisner Henkin, Trident Media. Illustrator's agent: Stephen Barr, Writers House. (Feb.)

Gr 1-3--Unnamed siblings, a boy and a girl with brown skin and dark curly brown hair, take an imaginative journey as they tour a world inhabited by spectacular creatures inviting them into the fantastical world of sleep. Through the course of their night adventures the children encounter a welcoming tiger, enormous walrus, cheerful elephant, and old serpent. Silver ships transport them to various locations where they are joined by mythical creatures and a diverse group of happy children. They all converge, forming a large and loud parade, singing and playing musical instruments. Finally, a dolphin takes them home where they are tucked into bed. In the morning they are greeted by the enormous serpent looking into their window who poses the question, "Are you ready?" This open-ended resolution could be interpreted many ways and could lead to a stimulating discussion. The poetic text, full of rich vocabulary, seems meant to be read out loud. However, it lacks many of the elements of good storytelling. While there is a theme of sorts, both a plot and character development are nonexistent; the children's mouths are mostly agape when they are awake, and closed when they sleep. The otherwise breathtaking illustrations, created with graphite on vellum bristol paper and colored digitally, are detailed and invite thoughtful inspection. A comparison to Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are is obvious, although some of the darker images carry a Dante's "Inferno" vibe as well, which seems counterproductive in a bedtime book. VERDICT Whether for sleepy time or not, this is an additional purchase.--Lynne Stover