As night falls on a soft summer evening, neighborhood children are drawn out of their houses by the sights and sounds of the world after dark. First the fireflies come sparkling past, followed by a host of domestic and wild animals, from cats and dogs to owls and skunks. Accomplished children’s poet Robert Heidbreder creates a world of enchantment, while Qin Leng’s illustrations conjure the harmonious interplay between our everyday domestic world and one that is just a little bit wilder. All the characters, both human and otherwise, have their moment on the nighttime stage, but eventually, the curtain falls, and sleepiness beckons.

Robert Heidbreder was born in Illinois but now lives in British Columbia. He has enchanted children with his joyful poems and rhymes for more than two decades. A former elementary school teacher (and winner of the Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence), he believes that children's love of silly and absurd combinations of words makes them natural poets. His books include Eenie Meenie Manitoba, Don't Eat Spiders, I Wished for a Unicorn, Drumheller Dinosaur Dance, Python Play, See Saw Saskatchewan, Crocodiles Say, A Sea-Wishing Day, Lickety-Split, Crocodiles Play, Shake-Awakes, Noisy Poems for a Busy Day, Black and Bittern Was Night and Song for a Summer Night.

Robert Heidbreder's profile page

Qin Leng was born in Shanghai, China. At the age of five, she moved with her family to Bordeaux, France, where she spent the next four years. Soon after, she moved to Montreal, where she spent the rest of her childhood. Having been born in Asia but raised in the West, she uses both cultures as her source of inspiration. Looking at her illustrations, one can see the presence of both East and West.Qin Leng comes from a family of artists, where the visual senses have always been of the utmost importance. She grew up watching her father work with acrylics, pastel, and ink. Father and daughter often spent their days drawing side by side. Drawing first started as a hobby, but soon became a way of expression.Despite her many years of study to become a biologist, Qin decided at the age of 20 to follow the same path as her father and enrolled in the School of Cinema to study Film Animation at Concordia University. She has produced animated shorts, which were nominated in various nationa

Qin Leng's profile page

Heidbreder’s gentle rhymes celebrate the natural world from a child’s perspective, perfectly capturing tiny details and the secret thrill of being awake in the wee hours. . . . Sure to become a favourite at bedtime.

Quill & Quire

The atmosphere Heidbreder suggests with letters, Leng amplifies with soft colors, dreamy images, and blended backgrounds. Go ahead: get ready to snuggle in and share this summer lullaby tonight.

BookDragon

The poetry is a soft and lovely lullaby . . . The delicate illustrations, fashioned with ink and brush and digitally colored in pastel tones, evoke the beauty of the quiet night with perfect charm.

School Library Journal

A stunning children’s picture book, infused with a subtle déjà vu that invites the reader on a magical journey of remembrance. . . . a glorious feast for the senses of sight, sound, and feeling.

CM Magazine

A sweet evocation of the pleasures of nighttime.

Kirkus Reviews

Equally effective as a quiet bedtime story or as an entertaining group read-aloud, this is a creative and lovely addition to the lullaby canon.

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