Flashlight Night

“Delightfully clever illustrations simultaneously show "reality" in the dark of the night and the world of the children's imagination as illuminated by the flashlight in a way that highlights the power and joy of reading!”

“Newcomer Esenwine's balladic verse and Koehler's sturdily drafted pencil drawings don't just lobby for children to read—they show how readers play.”

“★"The contrast between darkness and the area illuminated by a flashlight fascinates children, but this title kicks the fun up a notch . . . The modest swimming pool inspires a pirate escapade; a rope ladder links to a hot air balloon rescue. The delicious language and ingenious metamorphoses, rendered in pencil and colored digitally, are tied directly to classic books stacked near the sleeping bags. A rousing read.”

“A flashlight becomes a gateway to a whole new world in this imaginative . . . book. Each double-page spread grows more fantastical . . . Despite the excitement, the gentle rhyming text will wind young listeners down and help prepare them for dreamland adventures of their own.”

“On any dark night, a flashlight illuminating shadows can create delicious thrills. Here, . . . (i)t's an old-fashioned, rip-roaring imaginary adventure, complete with a pirate, an ancient Egyptian chamber, and traveling to a 'foreign shore.'''”

“Digitally colored pencil drawings cleverly depict what’s really in the kids’ surroundings while also showing what they are imagining . . . a simple idea that’s engagingly executed and would be an excellent, atmospheric read for sleepovers or backyard campouts.”

“The creative illustrations make the story come alive by using a beam of light to highlight the imaginary parts . . . This picture book, reminiscent of Where the Wild Things Are, encourages children to find adventures in a boundless world through reading.”