Hildilid's Night

by Cheli Durán Ryan, Arnold Nobel (Illustrator)

In this Caldecot Honor picture-book, an old woman named Hildilid lives high in the hills and hates the night above all things. She tries capturing the night in a sack, tying it up with vines, shaking her fist at it, but the night takes no notice - until it disappears.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Kids

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1971

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely Pencil drawings!

A beautiful picture book of pencil drawings for beginning readers and above.

Hildilid does not like the night. She is trying to get rid of the night all night long in various and silly ways. The sun comes up and she is so tired she misses it and goes to bed.

The children thought this story was funny. They were saying things like, you can’t get rid of the night with a broom or a fire. They thought Hildilid was pretty stupid to put it mildly.

It made me think of Chinese philosophy. ‘That which we oppose has power.’ The night certainly took up all of hildilid’s time and energy, so much so she missed the whole day, the part she loved. Sometimes, health is focusing on the thing we love and not what we want to change. There is actually quite a bit of wisdom to draw from this little story.

[Yi · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first thought after reading this little volume was - what an odd little story. Then it came to me - this poor little woman spent all her energy and creativity towards getting rid of what she hated the most, the dark night; when the sun was finally out, she had no strength left to enjoy what she loved, the bright day.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hildilid hated the night, and she did everything she could think of to be rid of it. From tying it up, to feeding it to her dog, to finally spitting at it in disgust, there was nothing she didn't try. Despite these efforts, the night remained indifferent and immovable, going nowhere. Until, that is, the coming of the dawn. Unfortunately for Hildilid, by that time she was worn out, going to bed and missing the bright day...

Originally published in 1971, Hildilid's Night won illustrator Arnold Lobel a Caldecott Honor in 1972, and it is not difficult to see why. The detailed pen and ink drawings have a magnetic quality, drawing the reader into their shadowy world. I loved the fine textures of Lobel's drawings here, and appreciated the humor and expressiveness of some of his scenes, such as when Hildilid and her dog sing lullabies to the night. The use of yellow, at the end, when the sun is coming up, was a nice touch. There is an element of gentle humor here, and if one is looking for a message, it might be that expending all one's energy worrying about what can't be changed robs a person of the ability to appreciate the blessings they do enjoy. Recommended to anyone looking for somewhat quirky, beautifully-illustrated bedtime books.

[Amir hossein .M · Rating 3 out of 5]

کوتاه بود و جالب همراه با تصاویر مرتبط با داستان.


نفرت پیرزنی از شب و تلاش برای نابودی آن، ولی این تلاش سبب از بین رفتن دیدن روز توسط او و باز شروع شب با بیداری او می‌شود !!!

[Evan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This children's picture book written by Cheli Durán Ryan & illustrated by Arnold Lobel intrigued me because of the minimalist cover which features the protagonist Hildilid running through the pitch dark night, holding a shawl over her head as it flaps in the wind like Superman's cape. Everything about the cover seems quite minimalist, from the capitalized font to the lone moon on the black background to the hatching technique used by Lobel to compose Hildilid & her environment. Even the aforementioned black background, broken up by bits of intermittent white hatching, is reminiscent of a snow storm and uniquely captures the desolate terror with which Hildilid views the night.

Probably a good book to read to children going to bed (because of its theme, getting rid of the night, as well as its simplicity & repetition which could aid in lulling young minds to slumber), this story takes place in Hexham (North Umberland, England right on the Scottish border). Hildilid is an old woman who lives alone and abhors the night, wishing to chase it away so as to allow the sun to shine on her cottage all day long. She attempts to do so a number of simple ways, from chasing it with a broom to throwing it to her wolf hound to wolf down, but nothing works. Not even spanking it, or spitting at it (my favorite two illustrations).

In the end, the tale seems to be one of reminding readers that certain inevitabilities of life are better to be accustomed to and accepted rather than trying to change them. It is a silly story that would surely put a smile on the faces of children. Published/copyrighted in 1971, I think this book would be quite valuable to an art teacher attempting to instruct students regarding hatching techniques, as Lobel's illustrations are rich with examples.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always loved Arnold Lobel, but this book was unknown to me. I really like it, despite the fact that most kids I know don’t really engage with black and white illustrations in a story time setting. I think kids would laugh, though, at Hildilid’s efforts to get rid of the night, and the irony of the ending, where she misses out on the day because she is so tired. I think there are a lot of ways to apply this book to real life, and a lot of ways to interpret its message. My favorite of Lobel’s illustrations in this one is the page where the yellow sun begins to creep into the black and white panel were Hildilid and her dog are yawning.

[SamZ · Rating 4 out of 5]

1972 Caldecott Honor - Favorite Illustration: I love Hildilid's look of determination when she is trying to boil away the night!
This was a silly little tale of a woman who works very hard to get rid of the night. Although the story was light-hearted, it could easily be viewed with the moral that if we focus too much on hating the thing we dislike, we won't have the time or energy (or may miss entirely) the thing we enjoy most.
The illustrations in this tale are perfect for the story - the black and white line drawings emphasize the darkness of the night and the shadows.

[Lobstergirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairytailish story in which an old woman who hates the night tries about 17 different ways to get rid of it. Arnold Lobel's pen and ink drawings are nice. The last three have a yellow overlay, as the sun rises over Hildilid's cottage.

[Jfrlewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great - a reminder that we sometimes spend so much time fighting things and complaining that we miss the things for which we hope.

[Seema Rao · Rating 4 out of 5]

A darkness hating woman tries and tries to bring back day, only to fail, and fall asleep (at daybreak).

[Melissa Chapin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across this lovely Caldecott Medal book when I worked with the author and her husband researching and developing a play via Out of Joint Theatre in London. I don't know how I missed it as a child; it was exactly the sort of tale containing "wise lessons imparted with silliness" my mother loved to read to me and my sister. Hildilid's Night is about a woman, scared of the night, who takes matters into her own hands to do away with the darkness in various whimsical ways. Suffice it to say it was a favourite in its time in Japan, where Aesop-style folk tales of wisdom and self-discovery are respected and very much loved. I was deeply touched and delighted when the author presented me with copies in English and Japanese to share with my twins, who were seven at the time. Snuggle up and read aloud in chorus as you travel through Hildilid's Night. Four stars.

[Shanna Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hildilid is a solitary old woman who lives in a hut on a mountain, and she hates the night. One night, she decides to attempt to get rid of it, musing, "I do not know why no one has thought of chasing away the night before." So she commences a multitude of strategies: she sweeps, scrubs, scours, whisks at the night, with no result. She sews a sack to capture the night, but cannot get it all in. She singes it with a candle, but it skips outside her hut. And so her antics continue through the night, until the sun comes up, finding her too tired to enjoy the day.

This old-fashioned tale is full of humor, and children will enjoy Hildilid's absurdly futile antics, which gently illustrate the foolishness of pride. This woman believes she is powerful enough to change the movements of the sun, which has determined the day and night since God created it for that purpose (Genesis 1:16-18; Job 38:12, 19-21).

The book is illustrated in pen-and-ink, with a creative use of color at the end when the sun rises, lighting Hildilid's world with yellow light. Some children may not immediately be drawn to it because it is mostly in black and white, but the artwork holds lots of visual interest and earned a Caldecott Honor in 1972, before the more modern printing equipment was available. It may be best suited to a younger elementary-school audience, although some preschoolers will enjoy it as well.

[Myrza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ryan, C. D. (1971). Hildilid's Night. New York, NY: Macmillan Publishing Company.

Black and white illustrations might not be good for all books, but in the story of “Hildilid’s Night” by Cheli Durán Ryan, Illustrated by Arnold Lobel the choice was very suitable. I really enjoyed the illustrations of black ink type drawings. It really lend it self to the story of the old woman that was fighting the night away. Each drawing captured the various ways the old woman attempted to fight the night. From her pulled back hair and long draped dress I could see the old woman exhausting every possibility to rid of the night. A curve in the eyebrow or slant on the woman’s mouth gave me a clear picture of the woman’s frustration with the night. Even her companion dog gave me a good understanding of the old woman’s exhausting night, fighting the night away. The last page of the bright yellow color overlaying the black ink completed the story with the rise of the sun and exhausted old woman to tired to enjoy the bright sunrise.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very strange book. I will admit that I probably would’ve never picked it up had it not won a 1972 Caldecott Honor. It is about a woman named Hildilid (which took me forever to figure out how to pronounce) who lives in England and doesn’t like the night. She spends the book trying various ways to get rid of it, resulting in her being so tired that she sleeps throughout the day (which she had been trying to get back into the whole time). The black and white illustrations, done by Lobel, reminded me of Edward Gorey. Recommended for ages 4-8, 2 stars.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hildilid is afraid of the night. Poor her.

So one night she tries *everything* to chase the night away - she spits at it, feeds it to her dog, ties it up, brews it, sings it a lullaby.... Of course, she can't - and, naturally, she falls asleep just as the sun comes up. (But she has to be rested tomorrow night, doesn't she?)

The illustrations are just detailed enough, and the text has a nice quiet humor to it.

[Mary Sesar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This funny little book is about a lady who is tired of the night time. She tries many things to get rid of the night but nothing seems to work. When night finally starts to disappear, she is tired and falls asleep, but when she wakes up it will be night again.
This is a great book to get on the topic of there being twenty-four hours in a day and how many consist of night and day. It is also a great topic start of the earth rotating.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a humorous tale of a woman who tries every way she can think of to get rid of the night. Arnold Lobel's illustrations are all black and white--pen and ink drawings. The only bit of color comes at the end of the book when the sun--a bright yellow/orange--starts to rise. The illustrations are of various sizes and set inside frames; depicting the many ways she tries to banish the night. But when day finally arrives, she is too exhausted to stay up and enjoy it!
Caldecott Honor, 1972

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book has a mixed of pages with varying lengths of texts per page. Some have 3 lines others have two lines, others with one. Then there is a page with 10 or more! That one pages and a few others might stress out weaker readers. Illustrations are nice. Lots of alliteration within text, lists with commas and few quotes. Story was cute and fun. Story is simple but enjoyable. Makes a good bed time reader. Very imaginative story.

[Elly Squire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book! It is about a sweet little lady who doesn't like the night and does all she can to make it go away. I think this would be fun to read with the kids and discuss why she might not like night. It could be because she is afraid of the dark. You could use this to talk about fears or about things we simply might not like, expressing feelings.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caldecott Honor Book, 1972

Favorite illustration: page 22

Art Medium: Pen and ink, yellow overlays

Favorite line: "Hildilid sang it lullabies, poured it a saucer of milk, shook her fist at it, smoked it in the chimney, stamped on it, spanked it, dug a grave for it, and she even--I am sorry to say--spat at the night."

[Maughn Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

The late American philosopher Gareth B. Matthews reviewed this book in the "Thinking in Stories" column he produced for the Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children (see https://www.montclair.edu/iapc/review...). There he related a children's philosophical dialogue about the story.

[Victoria Y. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This black and white picture book explained the challenges and fears of Hildilid trying to get rid of the night. This is a good book to help children understand the concept of conquering fears and not to let those fears consume you.

[Stacie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really wonderful story about how nature has her own ways of doing things that people just can’t change. Delightfully detailed line drawings. I fear no one reads this book anymore due to its age (1971) which would be a shame since it’s such a good one!

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars - There's no fighting the night.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story, exceptionally entertaining illustrations.

[Mercedes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a huge fan of the story, but I liked the dark illustrations for being a kids book.

[Maria Rowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

• 1972 Caldecott Honor Book •

The drawings are beautiful - they almost look like woodcuts. I love that the book (at least the version I read) is small and easy to fit in my hands. The story is good - I think we all feel like that - trying to change something that’s impossible to change (like the night) but you keep trying anyway. I like her determination. But in the end, if she had just been patient, the night would have gone away and she could have enjoyed it instead of being exhausted from trying all night to get rid of the night, and then missing out on the day that she wanted so badly. I like the moral of just enjoying what you have and not spend your whole time wishing for something else. I liked this book - it’s quirky and fun to read!

Materials used: pen-and-ink drawings with yellow overlays
Typeface used: Display: Palatino • Text: Photo Plantin

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

1972 Caldecott Honor book. 3.5 stars, but I rounded up for the illustrations. A funny little story about a woman who hates night so much, she uses all her creativity- and awake time - trying to get rid of it that she is asleep by the time the sun arises. I guess there is a lesson in that. As for the illustrations - you know when you were taking notes in school and in an effort to stave off boredom, you'd draw little patterns of lines on the margins of your notebooks (or was that just me)? These illustrations are reminiscent of that - but so, so much better. Everything is in black and white - until the sun rises, of course. My personal favorites are when she shakes her fist at the night, and the smoke coming from her cauldron.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up with this book and just love every bit of it. The illustrations are unique and impressive and the story is odd in a wonderful way. I just love the silliness of a grown woman trying to eradicate the night by boiling it or sticking it in a sack. On top of that, she's able to shear a cloud from the sky! My favorite part is the humorous writing when she spits at the night! (Gasp! Haha.) It ends so ironically, it makes me smile, and I love the yellow sun contrast to the black pen drawings. I guess the story shows that there are some things you can't control, and you need to learn to adapt so you can appreciate what is wonderful about life. A great book I wish was more appreciated!

[ElleryS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Traditional literature
1st-2nd grade reading level
I enjoyed the illustrations in this book, but they weren't very flashy or exciting to keep the attention of a child. I did especially like how color was only introduced at the end, when day was beginning. However, I feel like the subject matter of not liking the night and wishing she could get rid of it would resonate with a lot of children who are afraid of the night. And perhaps the ending, when Hildilid decides to simply ignore the night if it won't take notice of her, will help children overcome their fear.