Night Song

In this lyrically told be-yourself story, a frog named Bernardo longs to join the birds whose dawn song inspires the sun, which in turn “gently unfolded the flowers, dried the night-damp stones, and leaned across the backs of the leaves to dance across the forest floor.” The pleasure that other creatures take in this beauty (“The fishes in the pond swam in the song, the dragonflies hummed along”) spur Bernardo’s desire to sing like the birds. “I’d like to do that.... I’d like to make the whole woods happy,” he thinks. But attempts to become more avian—adorning himself in colorful leaves, ascending a tree—are met with stern looks. The frog’s perspective doesn’t shift until a small friend reminds Bernardo of the role he plays in another musical drama: the dusk song that puts the woods to sleep. Assured lines by debut creator Smith Despres convey the wonder of change brought by the day’s rhythms, while limpid colored pencil, watercolor, and ink spreads by Yum (Luli and the Language of Tea) deliver giggles and render subtly changing light and color in this hymn to contemplating one’s place in the world. Ages 4–8. (Jan.)