The Night World
This story is very, VERY minimal! I mean little words in the beginning, then it varies per page, but I like that! Not because its less for the adults to read to the children (although that's a plus in my house), but because its more for the children to see.
This story, The Night World, by Mordicai Gerstein, is about the night time world outside of the house. A little boy's cat is screaming to go outside, before they miss "it." Outside, well inside as well, at night, nothing is the same. The world is different. The house looks different, the yard has no color, the sounds and noises aren't the same... shadows, hooting, darkness. All of the animals are talking about whats about to come, and as a little bit of glow approaches, the animals start to disappear. The sun is out, the day is here, and night is gone, as is the night world.
This story book is more on the mystery and suspense side. Reading it to my daughter, I had to stop about 6 times to say, "wait and see." Because she continued to ask, "what is coming, what are they talking about, what is the cat keep yelling for?" LOL! The plot thickens, and at the end, "what is coming" finally comes.
The illustration in this story was actually told in the back fold of the book. As the author wrote on darkness, he used acrylics, pen and ink and colored pencils to show it. I love the hint of greys that mimic silver as the shadows show in the dark. It gives the book and edge. That "peek out of one eye" look as you read.
The author has a note telling his story behind the book. When he was four, his father him to the bathroom in the middle of the night, where he got a sneak peek of the back yard at its darkest hour. Asking where the yard was was his first response, due to the lack of light. Ever since, he was a "great watcher" of sunrises.
I could incorporate this story into an activity by doing a picture book of light and dark. Students take pictures of items, one in the dark another in the light. And show and tell. Another thing we could do, is differentiate the different things you see and hear outside, at night time, versus in the day light hours.
Done reading?
1) What noises do you hear at night?
2) Before reading the story, what did you think the cat was relaying to?
3) Why do you think the animals wouldn't tell him what was coming?
This story, The Night World, by Mordicai Gerstein, is about the night time world outside of the house. A little boy's cat is screaming to go outside, before they miss "it." Outside, well inside as well, at night, nothing is the same. The world is different. The house looks different, the yard has no color, the sounds and noises aren't the same... shadows, hooting, darkness. All of the animals are talking about whats about to come, and as a little bit of glow approaches, the animals start to disappear. The sun is out, the day is here, and night is gone, as is the night world.
This story book is more on the mystery and suspense side. Reading it to my daughter, I had to stop about 6 times to say, "wait and see." Because she continued to ask, "what is coming, what are they talking about, what is the cat keep yelling for?" LOL! The plot thickens, and at the end, "what is coming" finally comes.
The illustration in this story was actually told in the back fold of the book. As the author wrote on darkness, he used acrylics, pen and ink and colored pencils to show it. I love the hint of greys that mimic silver as the shadows show in the dark. It gives the book and edge. That "peek out of one eye" look as you read.
The author has a note telling his story behind the book. When he was four, his father him to the bathroom in the middle of the night, where he got a sneak peek of the back yard at its darkest hour. Asking where the yard was was his first response, due to the lack of light. Ever since, he was a "great watcher" of sunrises.
I could incorporate this story into an activity by doing a picture book of light and dark. Students take pictures of items, one in the dark another in the light. And show and tell. Another thing we could do, is differentiate the different things you see and hear outside, at night time, versus in the day light hours.
Done reading?
1) What noises do you hear at night?
2) Before reading the story, what did you think the cat was relaying to?
3) Why do you think the animals wouldn't tell him what was coming?
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