Through the Night

My daughter's preschool had a copy of this book, and I was really captivated by it. The sense of the dad's quest to return home to his family was (I thought) very moving. The illustrations are very period ('40s, I suppose), which I think makes them visually interesting for kids and kind of nostalgia-inducing for the grownup reading it. A striking book which I still think of some years after first encountering it. It has some of the night magic of "The Moon Jumpers," one of my great favorites from my own childhood (Janice May Udry and Maurice Sendak).

That's what my 3 1/2 year-old son said, and I agree. The illustrations in this book are so soothing it makes a perfect goodnight story. Even though it is really a calm story, it was interesting for my son because as the father drives home he passes trucks, cars, bridges, etc... perfect for a boy this age! It's traditional in that the father comes home at night to mother and kids, which in our case is real-life. I'm not sure how kids from different kinds of families would respond to it. But for us, it's terrific!

A comforting read-a-aloud picture book about a young fatherdriving a fortyish red sedan past thirtyish vehicles through a vaguelyGrant Woodish era farming area through a fiftyish cityscape to homewhere his children are waiting up late for his return. Patrick's darkish illustrations evoke the night and the welcome security of home and family. "Through the Night" is a good addition to any lap reader or storytime collection.