ReadItDaddy's Second Picture Book of the Week - Week Ending 23rd February 2018 - "The Night Box" by Louise Greig and Ashling Lindsay (Egmont)

Sometimes a picture book text just flows over you, like the gentle lapping of a stream's cool currents or the whisper of a summer breeze. So it is with our second picture book of the week this week, "The Night Box" by Louise Greig and Ashling Lindsay.
"The Night Box" tells the story of a small unassuming little fellow who has an extremely important role.

The flame-haired boy is the custodian of night, and just as the sun sets it's his job to unfurl the night from a tiny box.

As Louise's lilting and gorgeous poetic text unfurls, we learn just how important the darkness is, and what happens when all the nocturnal animals come out to explore, hunt and mark out their territory in the inky blackness.

As the day draws to a close and the shadows lengthen in the dusk, the boy knows it's time...

Reading this aloud is as satisfying and delightful as spreading butter on crumpets...

As the daytime snuggles down into The Night Box, Darkness slips out for mischief

It's also perfectly illustrated by Ashling Lindsay, whose glorious illustrations are full of beautiful light and shade, chock full of character and just so...YUMMY!

Dark as ink, the night sky is still full of life

It's that rare and beautiful thing. A picture book that just gets better and better with every read through, and it's utterly perfect for children who may have anxieties about the night and the dark.

Cannot recommend this highly enough.

C's best bit: When the boy opens The Night Box to usher in the darkness - and daytime and night swap places.

Daddy's favourite bit: I really wish I had someone else's soothing voice to read this aloud to me (poor C has to put up with my rather gravelly tones). It's utterly glorious and I can only imagine what it must sound like when someone does it proper justice when read out loud. Stunning.

"The Night Box" by Louise Greig and Ashling Lindsay is out now, published by Egmont (kindly supplied for review).