Sugar Glider Lights a Way

In Tatsukawa’s stepwise tale about a nocturnal book-lover, a sugar glider travels through the night sky in search of the perfect reading light. Noting the moon’s absence, the chatty protagonist laments the resulting dark (“How will I be able to read?”). A hunt for a suitable source of illumination ensues as the marsupial dramatically “jumps” and “glides” through the treetops (faint arrows trace the leafy path), trailing an elusive glowing orb and encountering forest dwellers and phenomena such as glowing mushrooms. En route, avian character Tawny bores with facts about the lunar cycle, and the “Nighttime Knitters” offer encouragement, but only the denizens of the Midnight Record Shop direct the protagonist toward a firefly who, with others, is poised to provide suitable brightness. Emerald and amethyst art employs stencils, rubber stamps, handmade textures, and even four-leaf clovers for a thickly verdant feel across this whimsical nighttime jaunt. Ages 4–8. (Aug.)