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Summary
Summary
For all kids who have ever dreaded the moment when the lights turn off and the bedroom door closes . . .
By day, George is a brave boy. He'll climb the tallest tree, leap over fences, and stand up for his friends, without fear. But when the sun goes down, it's only a matter of time before his parents say good night, leaving him in the dark.
In the dark, George's room fills with terrifying sights. The only thing to do is to hide under the covers with his bear. But wait! On this night, Bear is not in his bed. Where is it? It's across the room, in the darkest, scariest corner...
Perfect for fans of Lemony Snicket and Jon Klassen's The Dark , this heartwarming tale gives extra reassurance to little ones who are bravely facing their own bedtime fears.
Author Notes
MADELINE VALENTINE grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and now lives in Queens, NY with her husband. She graduated from Pratt Institute and is the illustrator of Albertine's Got Talent! by Shena Power and Ava and the Real Lucille by Cari Best. She is also the author/illustrator of The Bad Birthday Idea , with Knopf.
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
During the day, George is the picture of bravery-he stands up to bullies and even eats worms-"But bedtime was a different story." Valentine (The Bad Birthday Idea) shows George being physically removed from his bedroom door by his "fed up" parents and deposited under the covers with a stern warning to stay put. After George realizes that only he can rescue his beloved Bear, who's stranded in the middle of the bedroom floor surrounded by all kinds of horror (in reality, the shadowy terrors are simply George's own toy collection), he finds new reserves of courage-in fact, he's "almost fearless." Rendering George and his red jammies in full color while his bedroom is depicted in turbulently textured, graphite chiaroscuro, Valentine strikes a delicate balance between assuring readers that George has nothing to fear while also showing just how deeply frightened he is. There's a palpable sense of relief mingled with victory in the final scene, as a now-confident George surveys his room and knows he's master of the house. Ages 3-7. Agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (Nov.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
George is terrified of being alone at bedtime. When his stuffed bear is left in the dark, scary corner, George overcomes his fear for a rescue mission across the bedroom. For children who are afraid of the dark, George's story could encourage confidence. The graphite, gouache, and colored-pencil illustrations--well shaded to portray light and darkness--are reminiscent of old comics. (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
George's fear of the dark is clear from the cover, where the bedsheets are drawn up to his nose; young listeners will want to know if this ends well. In the daylight, the blond protagonist is fearless. He scales tall trees, rescues damsels in distress and downs insects in a single gulp. The darkened bedroom, however, has him quivering at the threshold. Valentine creates just the right balance of humor and sympathy around her character. Readers will chuckle at his rigid bodyparallel to the floor, as his father attempts to pry him from the doorand at the whites of his terrified eyes in the total blackness of the next spread. The gouache-and-colored-pencil illustrations are rendered with visible graphite strokes for these nighttime scenes. This choice adds to the tension on pages where familiar objects appear to have menacing expressions. George's teddy bear and pajamas (both red) stand out, so when he accidently tosses his blanket-wrapped companion across the room during the climax, observant viewers will know something before George does. The boy's empathy for another (his bear is scared too) prompts him to summon his courage, venture past the shark-shaped laundry basket and conquer his debilitating emotions. This depiction rings true in its portrayal of the paralysis of fear and the power of the right circumstances to motivate change. (Picture book. 4-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
New York Review of Books Review
This elegant wordless book captures the enduring appeal of the simple flashlight. In gouache illustrations on black pages, a child starts the evening in a tent, then ventures out, projecting pure white cones of light to reveal a delicately drawn riot of nocturnal creatures and other surprises. When he trips and drops his lamp, the animals join the fun. Even they know there is nothing quite as cool as shining that beam into the deepest dark of night. GEORGE IN THE DARK Written and illustrated by Madeline Valentine. 29 pp. Knopf. $16.99. (Picture book; ages 3 to 8) On one page it's good-night kisses; on the next, little George is out the bedroom door, then clinging to it for dear life. "Every night it was the same routine," Valentine writes, cheekily capturing the failure of parenting advice in the face of primal terror. Her delightful illustrations move from bubbly daylight scenes to a scribbly nighttime world of menacing toys. There's relief, and a nice, unpreachy lesson in the meaning of bravery, as George rescues his bear from "the scariest and darkest place." SMALL BLUE AND THE DEEP DARK NIGHT Written and illustrated by Jon Davis. 40 pp. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. $16.99. (Picture book; ages 3 to 8) Waking up in the middle of the night is a trial for Small Blue, a stuffed rabbit the color of a moody daytime sky and furrowed with worry about witches, goblins and the like. A bear called Big Brown answers his call, letting Small Blue cling to his enormous shaggy body, turning on the light and suggesting whimsical alternatives for each of the rabbit's horrid imaginings. It's a winning approach to fear of the dark: lots of physical closeness, a few flights of imagination, and a gentle dash of cold, hard logic. WHAT THERE IS BEFORE THERE IS ANYTHING THERE (A SCARY STORY) By Liniers. 19 pp. Groundwood/ House of Anansi. $18.95. (Picture book; ages 4 to 9) The renowned Argentine cartoonist lets his subversive flag fly in this canny and genuinely scary picture book. A boy alone in the dark faces, first, an array of boogeymen, then an even more existential terror: a black, branching miasma of sinister nothingness. He flees to his irritated parents' bed, but alas, even there, the cycle begins again. A certain kind of child, and more than a few adults, will find a paradoxical comfort in the honest lack of answers or uplift. ELSA AND THE NIGHT Written and illustrated by Jöns Mellgren. 26 pp. Little Gestalten. $19.95. (Picture book; ages 4 to 9) As dawn approaches, a sleepless, grieving badger named Elsa discovers a dark blue, bean-shaped creature hiding in her kitchen: the Night. They go on an adventure, and he proves to be a loyal friend and a force for good. After all, as this ingenious and gorgeously drawn book reminds us, the Night can bring not just cool breezes and "an end to all the quarrels," but also, when we're hunkered down with our misery, the sweet release of a shift in perspective. ONLINE A slide show of this week's illustrated books at nytimes.com/books.