Book Review: The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson

I'm slowly getting settled into my new town and my new job. Hopefully I'll get back to a regular(ish) posting schedule next week. In the meantime, here's a book review for y'all.

Book: The House in the Night
Author: Susan Marie Swanson
Illustrator: Beth Krommes
Published: 2008

This picture book follows a little girl through her evening as she settles down for bed and reads a book to herself--one that takes her to the stars and beyond before she slips off to sleep.

There's plenty of love for this one already, but I had to add my voice to the chorus. I fell in love with this book from the first page. I actually got a little sleepy reading it. Not because it’s boring or anything, but because the rhythm of the words and the mostly-cumulative structure just made it that perfect kind of soothing book that knocks Junior out every time. Kudos Susan Marie Swanson.

I often flip through picture books while sitting at the reference desk, but this one would not be flipped through. I had to check it out and take it home so I could pore over the illustrations--mostly black and white scratchboard, but with important things picked out in vivid marigold. As the child's imagination takes over, the marigold tones become more widespread, then subside as she falls asleep, only to return strongly on the very last page as she dreams. Kudos Beth Krommes.

Look for this one to join Goodnight Moon as a bedtime book Mom and Dad will have memorized in about a week.