The Way Home in the Night

Written & illustrated by Akiko Miyakoshi

A bunny wonders about neighbors' nighttime activities as it drifts to sleep.

5.5/7 Bookroo expert·3.9/5 Goodreads · 1,059 ratings

32 pages· 201 words· Est. 2 min read-aloud

$16.95Save 6%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

As a young bunny journeys home through the night, it imagines the lives behind glowing windows. What stories unfold as neighbors talk, bake, and say goodnight? With each step, curiosity grows. Will the footsteps outside take the last train home? This enchanting tale invites children to explore the magic of nighttime wonder and the stories that linger in the dark. Through softly illustrated pages, the bunny's imagination weaves a tapestry of possibilities, prompting young readers to dream beyond what they see. What does it mean to be home, and what stories do the night hold?

From the publisher

A mother rabbit and her young bunny are on their way home in the dark night. ?My mother carries me through the quiet streets,? the bunny explains. ?Most of our neighbors are already home.? The bunny can see their lights in the windows, and hear and smell what they might be doing: talking on the phone, pulling a pie out of the oven, having a party, saying goodbye. When they reach home, the father rabbit tucks the bunny into bed. But the bunny continues to wonder about the neighbors’ activities. ?Are the party guests saying goodnight? Is the person on the phone getting ready for bed?? And what of the footsteps that can be heard in the street as the bunny falls asleep? ?Will she take the last train home??

This beautiful picture book captures the magical wonder a child feels at being outside in the night. Award-winning author and illustrator Akiko Miyakoshi’s softly focused black-and-white illustrations with just a touch of neutral color have a dreamlike quality, just right for nodding off to sleep with. The book is intriguing in that it contains twice-told stories, once as they are observed and second as the bunny imagines them. This offers a perfect prompt for young children to create extensions of other stories they have read or heard. A deeper reading could encourage critical thinking by comparing the different pastimes of the neighbors or, ultimately, what it means to be home.