Under the Night Sky by Amy Lundebrek, illustrated by Anna Rich

Under the Night Sky
by Amy Lundebrek, illustrated by Anna Rich

A little boy is awakened one night by his mother who hurriedly puts on his coat and rushes him outside. The confused boy doesn't know what's going on and sees the same look some of the other neighborhood kids gathered together outside.

But soon a wonderful spectacle appears in the sky: The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis. The boy and other children are awed as they look at the beautiful, swirling lights in the sky.

The boy uses beautiful, vivid language to describe them: "Sometimes the color oozes from one part of the sky to the other. The lights twist like colored ropes. They flicker like colored flames."

Anna Rich uses a rich blue, green, and pink color palette to bring to life both the lights and the diverse neighborhood that has come together to witness this wonder of nature.

While the book can certainly be used as a supplement in a science or astronomy lesson, it offers much more. It's about a mother's love for her son, about a community coming together, about taking time out to take in nature, and more. I especially liked the back story of the single mother who has to work late nights to support herself and her son. There are a so many kids who live in single parent homes (I was one of them). Yet, there are not enough books out there with kids from single parent families that also represent it in such a loving way as Amy Lundebrek did in Under the Night Sky.

A heartwarming book that introduces kids to a wonder they may have never heard of, this book would make a great addition to a classroom, school, or home library!

Check out Tilbury House's website for a number of wonderful resources for further learning.

Thanks to Tilbury House for allowing me to participate on the Under the Night Sky blog tour.

Other stops on the tour include:
Monday, Dec. 8: Shelf Elf (author interview)
Tuesday December 9: Bri Meets Books
Wednesday, Dec. 10: The Wild Rumpus Starts
Thursday, Dec. 11: In the Pages
Friday, Dec. 12: The Well-Read Child
Saturday, Dec. 13: Read These Books and Use Them
Sunday, Dec. 14: Ready, Set, Read
Monday, Dec. 15: Becky's Book Reviews
Tuesday, Dec. 16: NatureMoms
Thursday, Dec. 18: On My Bookshelf
Friday, Dec. 19: The Green Hour


More Info:

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Tilbury House Publishers (May 31, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0884482979
• ISBN-13: 978-0884482970
• Source: Review copy from publisher
  

* Images used with permission from Tilbury House Publishers.