What Color Is Night?

by Grant Snider

Look closer. Grant Snider's beautiful debut picture book explores the wonders—and colors—of nighttime. For night is not just black and white. Ending in colors yet unseen, and a night of sweet dreams, this lilting lullaby is sure to comfort those drifting off to sleep. With luminous art as spare and glowing as the moon, and lyrical text that reads like a friend leading the way through the wilderness, What Color Is Night? is a rich and timeless look at a topic of endless fascination, and a perfect bedtime read-aloud.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Storytime, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Nature, Comics

48 pages, Hardcover

First published November 5, 2019

About the author

Grant Snider began drawing and writing before he knew what he was doing. Soon it was too late to stop.

He is the author of the picture books WHAT COLOR IS NIGHT? and WHAT SOUND IS MORNING? and the creator of Incidental Comics. His comics were collected and published in the books THE SHAPE OF IDEAS and I WILL JUDGE YOU BY YOUR BOOKSHELF. Grant's comics about creativity and the human condition have appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, and The Best American Comics.

Grant lives in Wichita, Kansas with his wife, daughter, and three sons, where he also practices orthodontics. You can often find him carrying a sketchbook, lost in his own thoughts.

Reviews

[Cam (Lana Belova) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The truth is more complicated when it comes to describing the colours of night. The night is never empty of colour, if not all of them but many are there. I loved the illustrations and them vividly and warmly portraying a true night. I especially liked a glow from a window waiting for our loved ones to return home :)

[Harun Ahmed · Rating 4 out of 5]

রাত তার সমস্ত রহস্যময়তা, সৌন্দর্য ও রঙ নিয়ে হাজির হয়েছে শব্দ আর তুলিতে। মুগ্ধ!

[Rifat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Things of different colors can be seen in daylight but at night, everything seems almost the same; it is as if a strangely beautiful atmosphere is created. It is bluish dark or darkish blue to me.



Such an amazing book describing the colors of night just with the illustrations and their captions! The yellow moon, street lights, lights of late vehicles, neon light of the city, the desolate person and its lighting room among the buildings etc make the night enchanting!

The color of the night that does not attract the attention of ordinary people.🖤

~9 December, 2020

[دُعاء| Doaa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was great but short. I loved the illustrations and how simple their captions were

[Yeasin Reza · Rating 4 out of 5]

মনে হলো কবিতা পড়লাম একখানা। রাত্রির অপরূপা রূপ, শব্দ, গন্ধ সব মূর্ত্য হয়ে চেতনায় জেগে উঠলো। কবিতা পড়ার পর যেরকম একটা ঘোর থেকে যায় তেমন এক ঘোরে আছি। রাত্রিকে আরো সূক্ষ্মতরভাবে ইন্দ্রিয়পর করে তুলেছে। ইলাস্ট্রেশনগুলো ভীষণ সুন্দর। ঈশ্বরকে ধন্যবাদ অন্ধকার রাত্রির রেখা নেই কিন্তু রয়েছে নিজস্ব অনুপম দৃশ্যাবলী ও বর্ণসমূহ..

[Manar · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Funny short story 💞💞

[La Coccinelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book doesn't really look like much from the cover, but that's kind of misleading. What Color Is Night? is actually a charming, thought-provoking exploration of nocturnal colours... from the yellow of lights to the green glow of animals' eyes. Told in non-rhyming verse with a gentle rhythm, the book highlights all the many colours of the seemingly monochromatic night landscape.

I was pleasantly surprised by this one. It would make a lovely bedtime read.

Quotable moment:

[Samiur Rashid Abir · Rating 4 out of 5]

ছোটবেলায় এরকম বই পেলে কত ভাল হইত। অন্ধকারের মাঝেও আলো কিংবা শত রঙ খুঁজে পাওয়ার মাহাত্ম্য হয়ত আবিষ্কার করতাম।

খুবই সুন্দর আর্টওয়ার্ক!

[হাঁটুপানির জলদস্যু · Rating 4 out of 5]

ছিমছাম, বাহুল্যবর্জিত, ন্যূনকল্পী অলংকরণে ভরা বই। স্নাইডারের সৃষ্টিকে 'ছবিতা' ডেকে আসছি তার প্রথম বইটা পড়ার পর থেকেই, এ বইটাও সে ধারার।

[Ritika · Rating 5 out of 5]

It couldn't have been any more perfect than this! Beautiful!

[Shuvo · Rating 3 out of 5]

নিকষ কালো রাত, হলুদাভ বড় চাঁদ আর সকল ব্যস্ততা এড়িয়ে চেনা শহরের অচেনা রূপ ধরা দিল।

এত্তো সুন্দর!!! কিন্তু শুরু না করতেই শেষ!
:"(

[Bahar meow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and lovely !

[Amira Alkady]

_What colour is night?
=It's only black ?
_And white ...

[Daina Chakma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a spellbinding artwork!
I love all the colors and every single word of this graphic novel!

[Subrata Das · Rating 4 out of 5]

রাতের রঙ এর কথা বললে কালো ছাড়া অন্য কিছু মাথাতেই আসে না।
কিন্তু খুজে দেখার চোখ তাকলে অনেক কিছুই পাওয়া যায়।
অন্ধকারের রাজত্বেও কত রঙ লুকিয়ে থাকে সেগুলোই লেখক তার লেখনী আর আর্টে ফুটিয়ে তুলেছেন।

কি আশ্চর্য!! Moonbow এর মতো এত সুন্দর একটা জিনিসের কথা আজ প্রথম জানলাম।

[Abu Rayhan Rathi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another one!

[Mohi Hajihoseini · Rating 5 out of 5]

ساده ، زیبا .

[Vrinda Varma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this less than What Sound is Morning, but doesn't make it any less magical. I also perhaps realized that though I stay up most nights, I am actuly better fond of mornings. Or maybe it was the book. Who knows.

[KC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple text and story.

[Keiko, the manga enthusiast ♒︎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a fan of Grant Snider's graphic poetry!! Would have been lovely to have seen this title on a colored Kindle, though (it was plain neutral on paperwhite 🥺 so it did not have "that" effect on me, boohoo!)

[Sierra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Children's books are one of my favorite indulgences as a mom; when shopping for books for my little one, under the guise of pleasing my daughter i'm also looking for something to excite me and stimuate me just as much. As I'll be the one reading it countless times! This and its accompanying book about morning is such a fun, gorgeous, exploratory, pensive experience and I do love thinking about all the colors of night while reading it with my little one

[Siriyah Champlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

GO READ BEAUTIFUL BOOK NOW! AND WHILE YOUR AT IT READ ALL HIS BOOKS. It doesn't matter your age. GO.

[Khorshid · Rating 3 out of 5]

چند دقیقه حس خوب

[mikrokosmos · Rating 3 out of 5]

"perspective" is a special and intriguing thing.

[parniya.M · Rating 5 out of 5]

حقیقتا توی یه مهمونی به شدت کسل کننده هستم و همه دارن شام می خورن و من دارم کتاب می خونم 😀😂
What color is night رو همینن الان توی پنج دقیقه تموم کردم
چون 48 صفحه داشت که توی هرکدوم یه خط کوتاه بود و یه کتاب قصه ی انگلیسی کوتاه و کیوت بود که حالت شعر وار داشت 🥲🤌🏻
و بله من نتونستم جلوی خودم رو بگیرم و طبق معمول عاشقش شدم 🙂😂
خیلی خیلی دوستش دارمم
اگه یه چیز کوتاه و قشنگ برای استراحت می خواین حتما بخونیدش :>

[Indy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful picture book for young children, getting to learn the description of colors at night through nightlife in a city.

[basri.reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing artwork! And the captions are on point and it so beautifully portrayed the night colors. I just love this book.

[Takworm]

My third read i guess, for me, for Summer, and for stranger's kindness .

[Saharr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated and poetic picture book that reveals the hidden colors of the night. Grant Snider shows that darkness isn’t just black it’s full of mystery, warmth, and quiet magic. A soothing read that inspires wonder and makes bedtime feel like an adventure. Perfect for kids and adults alike.

[kglibrarian (Karin Greenberg) · Rating 5 out of 5]

When my first son was born I was happy to have an excuse to read picture books. Now my three kids are grown and I find myself drawn to the genre again. Maybe it's nostalgia or maybe I'm craving a minimalist vibe in a time where chaos is the norm. I bought this and What Sound is Morning? and love every inch of the gorgeous illustrations and sweet words.