The Way Home in the Night

by Akiko Miyakoshi

A mother rabbit and her young bunny are on their way home in the dark night. "My mother carries me through the quiet streets," the bunny explains. "Most of our neighbors are already home." The bunny can see their lights in the windows, and hear and smell what they might be doing: talking on the phone, pulling a pie out of the oven, having a party, saying goodbye. When they reach home, the father rabbit tucks the bunny into bed. But the bunny continues to wonder about the neighbors' activities. "Are the party guests saying goodnight? Is the person on the phone getting ready for bed?" And what of the footsteps that can be heard in the street as the bunny falls asleep? "Will she take the last train home?"

This beautiful picture book captures the magical wonder a child feels at being outside in the night. Award-winning author and illustrator Akiko Miyakoshi's softly focused black-and-white illustrations with just a touch of neutral color have a dreamlike quality, just right for nodding off to sleep with. The book is intriguing in that it contains twice-told stories, once as they are observed and second as the bunny imagines them. This offers a perfect prompt for young children to create extensions of other stories they have read or heard. A deeper reading could encourage critical thinking by comparing the different pastimes of the neighbors or, ultimately, what it means to be home.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Family, Fiction, Japan, Japanese Literature

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2015

About the author

Akiko Miyakoshi (1982–) was born in Saitama Prefecture, and graduated from the Department of Visual Communication Design at Musashino Art University. Her picture book Taifū ga kuru (Typhoon Comes) won the Nissan Children’s Storybook and Picture Book Grand Prix in 2009, and her Mori no oku no ochakai e (The Tea Party in the Woods) garnered the Japan Picture Book Awards Grand Prize in 2011. Her other works include Piano no happyōkai (Piano Recital) and Kore dare no? (Whose Is This?).

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young rabbit is being carried home in the arms of his mother. As darkness falls a deer is shutting up his bookshop and a sheep is closing his restaurant. As they walk home the rabbit child observes what is happening inside the lit up windows and wonders what the occupants are doing. This is a lovely reassuring book, quiet, simple text and the most beautiful soft drawings with a hint of colour. Whatever is happening during the day the story shows the appreciation of the constancy of a child's bedtime in their bed. I think this is an ideal bedtime story and if I had any small children about I would definitely want to buy a copy.

[Kris (My Novelesque Life) · Rating 5 out of 5]

RATING: 5 STARS
2017; Kids Can Press/Hachette Book Group
(Review Not on Blog)

One night a little Bunny is being carried home by his mother and imagines what people around him are doing. He knows one thing though, everyone goes home to sleep. This is a great book for bedtime...with or without the kiddies.

***I received an eARC from EDELWEISS***

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a gentle story of a mother carrying her young bunny home after dark. What the young one sees, hears and senses during this night time walk. There are lights into people's homes or shops, hints at others' experiences. Those lozenges of light bring warmth to the street. And when the little one gets home and to bed, there is the reliving of the walk, imagining how everything turned out for those in the small interludes he saw: the party under way, the pie out of the oven, etc. So much to think about before falling asleep.

I really like Miyakoshi's illustrations as I have in the previous books I have enjoyed. They are soft, evocative, primarily charcoal and white with limited expressive uses of color, bring out the comparisons in the story so well--here the warm lights shining in the night, the warm and friendly sounds of friends and family brighten the darkness. The larger scenes show a city with some lights on throughout the city while the bunny sees only the moon from its bed.

I do recommend this book as I have recommended The Tea Party in the Woods and The Storm in the past. A great night time/bedtime book to recap the day.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Akiko Miyakoshi’s The Way Home in the Night portrays a little bunny being taken home by her mother late at night, when the city becomes very different. But rather than being frightening, it’s a speculative city where the bunny wonders about the neighborhood residents she glimpses through their lit windows. Where do the restauranteur and bookseller go after they close? What about the party at the neighbor’s? That great smelling pie, who will eat that?

The little bunny undertakes the type of wondering we all do when we glance through a window into another life. That sense of wonder and the beautifully rendered pencil drawing make for a delightful read-aloud picture book for young and old.

[Evie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Some nights are ordinary, and other nights are special. But every night, we all go home to bed."

This is my second Miyakoshi book, and her artwork never ceases to amaze me. In this book, a boy's parents carry him home at night at the end of the day. Through lit windows he observes the goings-on of his neighbors and imagines how their nights might end. So lovely! Sparse and richly illustrated.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Some nights are ordinary,
and other nights are special.

But every night, we all go home to bed.”

The Way Home in the Night is the story of a young bunny being carried home in the arms of Mom. Readers see the world through the eyes and wonder of the bunny as they slowly walk through the pockets of light and shadows. As the noises and smells of the night pass by, bunny begins to wonder and dream about the neighbors and places around them. Whose phone is ringing? What does the bookseller do when he gets home?

The little walking trio—Mom, Dad, and young bunny--feels safe and warm with words like “snug” and “tuck” encouraging a sleepy, cozy mood. My first stroll through this book actually felt dark, but when I really looked at the small touches of color and the eyes of the characters the warmth shined through. The yellow points of light on the page provide warmth and imagination. Every soft-lit window inspires curiosity and peace—it says someone is home. I wonder what they’re doing. I loved this quiet, sweet, thoughtful trip home.

This beautiful book will inspire readers to look at the world around them and wonder. Gorgeous illustrations and beautiful words will have you returning again and again. I was captivated at page one.

Highly recommended.

[Karen Witzler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my other favorite of 2017's New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books. A little bunny is carried home in the dark through city streets. From the safe vantage point of their mother's arms they catch Edward Hopperesque glimpses of the lives of the other residents of their street. These residents are also animals but are so delicately and humanly rendered that one quickly overlooks this and begins to wonder along with Little Bunny about the details of their lives. Beautiful illustrations, of course, with questions for the child and details to discover with re-readings. The text has a deeply peaceful lullabye quality. Recommended as a holiday gift or a bedtime book to own.

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful story about a mother walking home with her child as evening falls...very touching.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very special book. It makes the world slow down, which is my favorite thing picture books can do. Each scene is rendered simply, yet has so much resonance. Each character, each evening, in that tender, liminal time of night before going to bed. Miyakoshi's work is infused with stillness, curiosity, connection, and a little bit of magic.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Japanese author/illustrator Akiko Miyakoshi, whose picture-book The Tea Party in the Woods was translated into English 2015, produces another breathtakingly beautiful work here. A young bunny, being carried through the nighttime streets by her mother, observes brief moments in the lives of others, as she glimpses various scenes through the lighted windows of their businesses and homes. When she gets home herself and her father puts her to bed, she imagines the conclusions to some of what she has seen...

Originally published in Japan in 2015, and in this English translation in 2017, The Way Home in the Night was chosen as one of The New York Times' best illustrated children's books of 2017, and it is not difficult to see why. Miyakoshi's artwork, done in pencil, charcoal and acrylic gouache, is simply lovely, capturing the beauty and mystery of the night, adeptly playing with light and darkness, and skillfully contrasting the outdoor and indoor scenes. The story here, which is gentle and contemplative, reminded me of of Julia Denos' Windows , which, although very different in style from The Way Home in the Night, also features a child walking through the darkness, catching glimpses of other lives through the lighted windows of the buildings he passes. The storytelling style here will lend itself to bedtime reading, I believe, with a lulling quality that is very appealing. Recommended to fans of Akiko Miyakoshi, in whose number I now count myself, and to anyone looking for beautifully-illustrated, gently-told bedtime tales.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would very much like someone to read me this book as I was falling asleep every night.

[António · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rodeados de dezenas, centenas ou milhares de pessoas, estamos cada vez mais isolados, sozinhos na nossa jornada marcada por preocupações e pequenos vislumbres de felicidade.

Poderia ser esta uma reflexão resultante deste "Regresso a Casa" de Akiko Miyakoshi.

Mas temo que seja uma visão adulta e desencantada, em contraste com a do pequeno coelho que do miradouro aconchegante que é o colo da mãe vai percorrendo as redondezas. Neste regresso a casa ao fim do dia, o nosso protagonista sem nome vai espreitando cada janela, que na realidade é uma porta para outra vida, outra realidade, outro mundo que é tão entusiasmante quanto pode ser o desconhecido.

Neste livro ilustrado de poucas falas, encantou -me a arte da autora. Sou fã deste tipo de ilustrações de desenho com grafite, talvez mais toscas e imperfeitas, mas por isso mais emocionais e humanas. As imagens a duas páginas são especialmente bonitas.

Este Regresso a Casa é na verdade um convite singelo e carinhoso à partida. O destino é uma viagem ditada "apenas" pela imaginação.

[Maísa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sentir coisas bonitas

[jess ~has abandoned GR~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoughtful book that will encourage young children to consider the shared humanity of the strangers they see from day to day. The illustrations are a bit dark, but that's to expected from a story that takes place exclusively at night.

Recommended for reading to older pre-readers and early readers at bedtime, when children can imagine the unique lives of all the people they met that day.

I received this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have loved everything that I have read by this author, very unique voice and beautiful, subdued illustrations. This one especially reminded me what it was like to be a small child; loved how the viewpoint kept shifting and moving around so that you were looking from another's eyes. Good thing to do every so often.

[Cynthia Egbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one came highly recommended but it really didn't do much for me. The illustrations felt a bit creepy to me and I didn't experience the coziness that so many readers seem to enjoy when they read this one.

[K.J. Mecklenfeld · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice illustrations, story so-so.

[Aolund · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strikes the rare balance between mysterious and comforting. Miyakoshi's darkly-shaded pictures in fact highlight points of familiarity and community as seen by the young rabbit being walked home by their mother. Somewhere between a story and a meditation on belonging/community and observing/imagination, there is one page in the book that could serve as a useful jumping-off point for discussions about homelessness and our human responsibility to care for our neighbors-- "But every night, we all go home to bed." Perhaps asking young readers who have seen people who are homeless, how can we help out people who don't have a home to go to? etc.

[Stina Fernholm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vilken vacker liten pärla till bilderbok. Så fina bilder, och en mysig berättelse.

[Célia Gil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Opinião no meu blogue em https://wwwescrevinhados-cantarinha.b...

[Erik Delgadillo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Las ilustraciones son preciosas y me hicieron tranquilizarme muchísimo. Verdaderamente bello.

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautiful bedtime story! Lovely illustrations!

[Pammycats · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Way Home in the Night
By: Akiko Miyakoshi

I received an e-ARC from NetGalley and Kids Can Press in exchange for my honest review.

This author/ illustrator has a true gift for evoking emotion with sparse language and life-filled pictures.

Storyline:
Bunny and mom are walking home. As they pass buildings, Bunny can see the scenes within. After Bunny is in bed for the night he/ she (gender is not specified so from now on I will default to "he") remembers each glimpsed scene and fills in the story for each.

Illustrations:
The illustrations are done in pencil, charcoal and acrylic. The sidewalks and buildings are smoky, smudgy grays and blacks with shadows stroking through. The windows are bright creamy and yellow shots of light often revealing people inside. If kids look carefully they can see into the different homes as Bunny and his mom (and then dad too) walk home. After Bunny gets tucked into bed (by dad) he revisits everything they saw. The reader enters the various rooms. What I loved about these pictures was the sense of activity being played off camera. In one scene, bunnies are waving goodbye to party guests. They are leaning over the edge of the railing and the reader sees the departing guests from the viewpoint of the bunny hosts. The reader also often sees the characters and rooms from a small bunny perspective. That is, we are looking up. Everything looks very interesting. My favorite set of illustrations is at the very end. Bunny is laying in bed and hears someone walking down the street. He envisions that it is the elderly bunny seen hugging someone goodbye earlier in the day. We don't actually have any information about these characters but the reader uses the pictures to flesh out the story. At the very end, we see this elderly bunny taking the last train home. It is beautiful, and a little sad, a little cozy, and a little bit sleepy.

Overall:
I highly recommend this beautifully conceptualized and illustrated book. I checked on Amazon and this author/ illustrator has two other books available that sound equally interesting.

[Storywraps · Rating 5 out of 5]

This charming, heartwarming book takes you inside the mind of an adorable young rabbit who is being carried home one night in the arms of her mommy. The streets, although empty, are framed by a variety of buildings with illuminated windows that show the day-end activities of normal folks getting ready to close shop, enjoy family time, and put their feet up and relax after a hard day's work.

The book appeals to the little rabbit's senses: things seen - such as flickering lights as someone is watching TV, a couple hugging lovingly goodbye as he goes out the door to work, things heard -such as a telephone ringing - it's shrill sound cutting through the silent night air, and fragrances smelled - such as a delicious apple pie cooking making a mouth-water experience of envy, just to name a few.

Her daddy meets the tired duo and takes the one in his arms to carry her to their final destination.... their home! Once there she is tucked into bed but before she falls asleep she reflects on the things she has observed on her journey. Is the person on the phone she witnessed getting ready for bed now? Is the bookseller from the bookstore reading one last book curled up on his couch? Is the yummy pie all baked and ready to be shared with the family? All these thoughts swirl around in her head making her eyes heavy and her mind finally come to the conclusion that some nights are ordinary, others are special, but she knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that every single night everyone ultimately finds his way home to his bed and goes to sleep. Zzzzzzzzzz!

I love the book. It is quiet and gentle and tender. The illustrations are soft, warm and cozy with a perfect colour pallet to express calm and rest. I simply adore Japanese picture books. This one is a perfect bedtime story to snuggle up with and enjoy with your little one. I highly, highly recommend it.

[Gratia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exceptional illustrations by author illustrator Miyakoshi who lives in Tokyo. I'll just add to earlier comments by saying it's all about skill in understanding the rules of perspective, draftsmanship, and viewpoint. By drawing with charcoal, pencil and acrylic gouache on what might be the lovely textured Canson Paper, Miyakoshi emphasizes the idea just as there are many bunnies (behaving like people) in the world, all doing different and unique things at the same moment, comfort and security remain a shared value. The variation of double page spreads, full page spreads and the soft edged vignettes all on cream colored paper keep the visual drama high.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young bunny and his mother are making their way home at the end of the day. The windows are all lit up and the people inside are spending their evenings in various ways, which the young bunny observes and thinks about as he settles down for sleep.

Pencil, charcoal, and acrylic gouache artwork gives so much life to this quiet story. The effect is that the reader feels like they are walking home with the characters in the book and soaking up all the wonderful people watching as they pass their neighbors' windows.

A beautiful book to behold and one that's great for sharing with PreK-2, especially at bedtime.

[Tanja · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've become a real fan of Akiko Miyakoshi's picture books. The illustrations are simply stunning. With a few colors, she achieves the most amazing effects. This latest book reminded me how much I have always loved walking through the streets of our town at night, seeing the lights in the windows, smelling dinners being cooked, wondering and imagining what is happening in the houses and apartments I am passing. She captures the special magic of a nighttime stroll beautifully.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who hasn’t taken an evening walk and peeked into lit windows and imagined what’s happening inside the houses? This young bunny tells of this journey on his way home, carried by his mother and doing that very thing. On the way, father joins them, and eventually, they arrive home, and bunny goes to bed, then to sleep. Illustrations are gorgeous, soft charcoal sketches with some bits of color. Remember The 'Tea Party In The Woods', also by Akiko Myakoshi, which has a similar effect.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything contributes to the sweet, sleepy, contemplative feel of this book, from the slightly faded look of the illustrations to the dozy, train-of-thought dialogue as the child sleepily thinks about their walk home through the city.

Excellent as a bedtime for for encouraging some gentle conversation before nodding off.

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quiet, pensive little gem of a book tells the simple story of a mom and child making their way home for the evening. It brings back memories of when even the most everyday things seemed mysterious and full of magic.