The Night Walk

by Marie Dorléans

An award-winning picture book about a family's midnight adventure -- a contemporary Owl Moon.
Mama opened our bedroom door. "Wake up, you two," she whispered. "Let's go, so we get there on time."

Excited, the sleepy family step outside into a beautiful summer night. The world is quiet and shadowy, filled with fresh smells and amazing sights. Is this what they miss when they're asleep?

Together, they walk out of their sleeping village. What will they find in the dark landscape?

This beautiful and evocative book movingly recalls family trips and the excitement of unknown adventure, while celebrating the awe-inspiring joy of the natural world.

Genres: Picture Books, Nature, Childrens, Family, Fiction, Adventure, Environment

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Marie Dorléans studied at the School of Decorative Arts in Strasbourg, France. Since her graduation in 2010, she has created children's book as both author and illustrator. The Night Walk won the Landerneau Children's Book Prize, and was shortlisted for the Prix Sorcières. Marie Dorléans breathes poetry and delicacy into her stories with realistic, carefully observed illustrations.

Reviews

[Alexander Peterhans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Walking through the night! I've certainly done that, but more because public transport had closed down for the night than any other reason.



Fear not, this book is not about wanton youths drunkily crossing through the night. It is about a family who want to see the sun coming up, so they get up in the middle of the night.



I loved this. Beautiful illustrations, showing the tantalising emptiness of the night, when everyone and everything is asleep. And fantastic use of light. I'm sure this book would've gone in heavy reading rotation if I'd had it as a child.



Might I suggest playing a recording of a forest at night on your phone, while reading this book to your child? Something with rustling leaves. And an owl. I think it would be incredible.

(Picked up an ARC through Edelweiss)

[Marathon County Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful picture book translated from French, The Night Walk is about a family that rises early to go on a long walk. They walk away from their town past fields, through the woods, by a lake, and up some rocky hills. Finally, we see what they walked all that way for: the sunrise.

On the journey, descriptive words awaken all the senses—a shrieking train, the glittering sky, the scent of grass and bark, the damp earth, finding footing in the darkness. The deep blues and blacks of the illustrations really do appear as night vision. This peaceful story is a great book to share at bedtime!

Elizabeth L. / Marathon County Public Library
Find this book in our library catalog.

[Ajeje Brazov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Che cosa attenderà a due bambini svegliati nel cuore della notte?
Mistero e magia s'intrecciano in questo libricino per i più piccoli e non solo, dove la protagonista incontrastata è la notte, ma non solo...

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two children are awakened in the middle of night by their parents who lead them on an evening hike into the countryside. Through the village, past the fields of sleeping cows, and into the woodland, they walk slowly, enjoying the peace of the night and the light of the stars above them.

The graceful beauty of this simple book almost brought me to tears. I am in despair that I can never write a review that will capture the absolute glory I experienced while reading it. I wish I could give it 10 stars!

Each new landscape that we discover along the hike is like a magical new scene of wonder and beauty. The stars, the trees, the wildlife, the silence, the warm night air, and the chirping of crickets; all these things weave a spell of tranquil harmony around the reader.

The big mystery of the book is where the family is going. They keep saying they need to "get there on time." And when their destination is revealed at the end... What a satisfying and splendid moment!

I am in complete awe of these illustrations! The use of light and dark is incredible, only using blue and grey and gentle yellows. You can actually FEEL the streetlights glowing on the page. The shadows cast by the flashlight sent me searching through the background of each page looking for little rabbits, and foxes, and owls in the forest. The little pinpoints of the stars are like a blessing over the entire scene.

I loved the peaceful expressions on the faces of the characters. A happy family, safe in the night, on a journey together for a unified purpose. Their faces say it all. What a complete delight!

I am utterly enchanted with this book!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't have the words to do this justice. The contrasts between the light and the dark. The strong use of descriptive language, how all the senses are brought in, and the lyrical text. Please, read this.

[Peacegal · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful, thoughtful book about the magical experience of a family's nighttime walk.

[Izabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Det som gör den här bilderboken är helt klart illustrationerna. Kontrasten mellan den mörkblå natten och de gula ljuskällorna får det verkligen att kännas som att läsaren får följa med på en nattlig promenad. Det är något magiskt med hur mörkret och hur ljuset möter upp och när man bläddrar till sista sidan blir man bländad av en soluppgång.

[Relyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now I want to take a family night walk. ;0)

[Jenni Zeller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Als die Sterne noch am Firmament funkeln, begibt sich eine vierköpfige Familie auf eine Wanderung – das Ziel: eine Verabredung. Ihr Weg führt sie durch verschlafene Gassen, moosige Wälder, vorbei an einem schimmernden See und zirpenden Grillen und über schroffe Felsen. Unterwegs rasten sie auf einer Lichtung: „Tausende Insekten bringen das Gras um uns herum zum Knistern. Das Schauspiel am Himmel raubt uns den Atem.“ Gerade noch rechtzeitig schaffen sie es zu ihrer Verabredung mit dem wunderschönen Tagesanbruch hinter den imposanten Berggipfeln.

„Auf leisen Sohlen durch die Nacht“ ist ein bezauberndes Bilderbuch über das Wunder der Nacht und die Schönheit der Natur. Die Franzosin Marie Dorléans hat eine in ihrer Einfachheit betörende Geschichte über den Zauber nächtlicher Wanderungen verfasst, die von Ina Kronenberger in poetisches Deutsch übersetzt wurde. Dabei erinnern Atmosphäre und Illustrationen des Buches an die eigene Kindheit in den Alpen. Gerade das Bild des Morgengrauens sieht so realistisch wie fantastisch aus. Absolute Empfehlung für große und kleine Bergfexe!

[The Library Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

You don't need a zillion colors to make a good picture book--in fact a lot of the classics have a minimal palette. Mainly here it's the dark blues and blacks of night, with a few bursts of yellow for a flashlight, the moon, and the dawn of a new day, and the color use is very,very effective. A simple, quiet book that will engage older preschoolers and early elementary aged reader--and might inspire them to ask to go on a similar adventure.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I may be giving a high rating only because this book reminds me of my weekends with my dad, hiking through the woods, watching the midnight full moon and the sunrise on the river. But this book is so beautiful, because it shows you it's the time spent with family -- no money, just time and the world around, that can be so magical.

[Biblioteken i Örnsköldsvik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Det som gör den här bilderboken är helt klart illustrationerna. Kontrasten mellan den mörkblå natten och de gula ljuskällorna får det verkligen att kännas som att läsaren får följa med på en nattlig promenad. Det är något magiskt med hur mörkret och hur ljuset möter upp och när man bläddrar till sista sidan blir man bländad av en soluppgång.

[Tara Sypien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Apparently I have a thing for books set at night time, I always enjoy them. My son and I enjoyed looking for hidden things in the pictures and kept guessing what the surprise was going to be at the end.

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet story about a family walking through the night in order to see a beautiful sunrise. It describes all the things they see in the dark.

[Adriana Martinez Figueroa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Using sparse writing, allowing the reader's sense of wonder take in the art and stillness of the night, all without villainizing the darkness is such a touching thing to witness. In college, I loved taking walks at night, but as a person of color in a predominantly white community the night felt incredibly scary for me. Maybe if I venture out with family it might demystify the night and all it contains.
Thanks to Edelweiss and Floris Books for the ARC!

[Nicole Darrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous pictures; the illustration of light is so effective. Calm and soothing story to a sunrise.

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

these illustrations!!! such a simple story that shows the magic of night and day

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated picture book of a family that gets up early for a night hike in order to see the sunrise. French award winner and NYT and NYPL best illustrated.

[KDV · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magical.

[Sasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh to be a little girl again, trampling about in the Wisconsin forest at 3am, waiting for the Perseid meteor shower to start. The writer truly captures darkness and the eerie otherness of nighttime amazingly well.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing use of color to convey setting and atmosphere, a simple thoughtful story

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of deep blue, this picture book takes a family and readers out of their beds and into the night. They get awoken by Mom in the middle of the night, get dressed and head outside. Crickets were chirping outside in the darkness. They walked through the sleeping village, past the brightly-lit hotel, and out into the countryside with the summer night around them. Their eyes adjusted to the darkness, letting them see the cows in the pastures and find the path as they left the road. They headed into the forest until they reached a small pond, where they played with the moon’s reflection and their flashlight beam. They stopped to take a break and looked at the vast sky overhead, stars alight. Then they reached a rocky hillside and climbed, up and up. And that’s when they realized they had gotten there just in time!

The winner of the Landerneau Children’s Book Prize, this French import is a deep and amazing read. It invites us all to think about adventuring out into the world in the dark, discovering how the world feels with nature around us, darkness, summer heat and wonder. The text in the book is simple, guiding us through the night’s adventure, pointing out what can be seen and heard, and allowing us all to marvel at the world covered in night. The text never gets in the way of our amazement, instead encouraging us to see more and play along.

The blue, oh the blue in this book. It perfectly captures the night, light only by the moon and the stars. Broken at times by windows or flashlight beams or passing trains, the night is allowed to take over all of the pages. Dorleans lets us squint a bit, as if our own eyes are adjusting to the darkness, to spot badgers and mice and deer. That blue drops away as dawn comes, almost worth shielding one’s eyes after being in the dark for so long.

Brilliant, magical and immersive. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

See my full review here: https://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsfi...

THE NIGHT WALK takes the reader on a walk at night through the village and into the wilderness. Parents wake their two children early to go for a hike. They take note of the hotel that is still lit and the last house in town before heading into the magical forest to the lake and up a hill to see the effervescent sunrise. The book captures the feelings of the walk not only through the text but also through the carefully drawn and colored illustrations that feature only blue and yellow.

What I loved: The text and illustrations are perfectly matched, capturing the feeling and wonder of the walk through the night. The text is lyrical, describing the scene through metaphors and apt descriptors. The coloring of the book is quite interesting, with a limited color scheme that manages to capture the way things would look at night. There are also some fun details in the dark with animals, a train, and other things that happen around the core family walking that night. The book ends with a captivating sunrise and the illustration again captures the wonder, intensity, and magic of it.

The text is printed in white on each page, making it a little easier to read against the dark backdrop, though the font is small to keep space for the full page, detailed illustrations. The story is equally told through the images, so this seemed apt.

Final verdict: With fantastic illustrations and lyrical prose, THE NIGHT WALK captures the wonder and magic of a walk through the night leading to a stunning sunrise. Recommend for preschool through elementary school aged readers.

Please note that I received a review copy. All opinions are my own.

[Cecilia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was phenomenal.

Story Elements:
*The plot of getting up and going on a walk to show kids what dawn on the hilltops/mountaintops looks like is an amazing family activity.
*I like the character commentary on who was awake and the stops they made along the way. (To play with the moon was prolly my fave stop, though, from a real life perspective, stopping to star gaze was probably the most important).
*Not enough books romanticize the dawn, and I appreciated an example.

Illustration Elements:
*This book taking place pre-dawn, just like books taking place at night, utilizes dark colors, so most of the book is very dark. The font is white so it could be read well in a poorly-lit room, but you will miss the illustrations. A well-lit room is a bonus here.
*The use of blue ask darkness and yellow as the juxtaposition makes sense logically for how things would look in real life, but it is also very beautiful.
*My favorite illustration was definitely the sun rising behind the mountains.

My main critique:
Dawn is not fully dark until the sunrises. There is a very beautiful phase before the colors hit the horizon where everything slowly lightens to gray and everything falls absolutely silent for a few minutes, and then a moment before the colors strike, you can start to hear songbird fluffing themselves awake and grumbling. That's the true romance of dawn, and I was sad that this book didn't get into that moment either through the illustrations or the plot.

[Alex Baugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the middle of the night, a brother and sister are awakened by their parents. After getting dressed, they leave the house, ready to have a nighttime adventure. They walk through town, where the only lights are the bright windows of the big hotel, before leaving town behind and heading into the countryside, passing sleeping cows in a meadow along the way. Leaving the road, they take a path heading into the forest, but not before they see and hear a passing nigh train. After a while, they come to an open area where they can see the brightly shining full moon. When they come to a clearing, the family stops for a rest, lying on their backs, stunned by the vast, glittering sky. Moving on, they climb up a rocky hill, hurrying so they won't be late. At the top, they are just in time to see sun rise "amazed by the light of a new day." There is something magical about watching a sun rise and a sun set, and this book quietly captures that magic moment at the end of a long, mysterious journey. This book provided another opportunity to talk to my young readers about a natural occurrence that we sometimes take for granted and to introduce them to the way the sun travels about the earth without overwhelming or confusing them with technicalities. Because it is nighttime, the hand drawn illustrations are done using graphite pencil and watercolor on a background on in varying shades of blue.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Complemented by illustrations created with graphite pencil, watercolor, and digital enhancements, this picture book tells the story of a family sharing a special adventure at night. It's long before dawn when the two youngsters are awakened to join their parents on a stroll through the village and then beyond. Having left civilization behind, they savor the quietness as they move through a forest and then hike up a hill, finally resting to await the arrival of the sun's first rays. The story and experience are quite relatable, and the use of vivid verbs such as "threaded," "snapped," and "swayed" capture the family's journey and their night walk perfectly. Since almost every page is filled with dark shapes and colors, the final pages with that oh, so bright sun arrive with just as much surprise and delight for readers as they do for the characters. Like many others, I have long been fascinated by how different places that are familiar look once darkness falls, an idea that is captured well in this gently told story. Who knows but there won't be some readers who will draw inspiration from the text and decide to set off on their own night walks.

[The Silvan Reverie | Sarah Street · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning and inspiring, The Night Walk tells the story of a family's adventure to walk out of town in the early morning to see the sunrise. The illustrations are mesmerizing, beautifully capturing the tone of the hour of day and the intrigue of a secret and shared adventure. I know this book is compared to Owl Moon and I think there are aspects of the adventure that follow in that vein; however, I do not feel that this book captures as much of the emotional connection to nature nor of the parent-child relationship. I do not see that as a hit, though, as I'm not sure The Night Walk *needs* that aspect to be a lovely and captivating story; I just balk a little at the comparison.

Overall this is a special and memorable picture book I think kids will enjoy!

**Note: I was given a review copy of this book via Publisher's Spotlight. Opinions are my own.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

A family gets up before dawn to walk through their town and up the mountain so they can see the sunrise. The illustrations are all about light. Most pages are in darkness, with lights here and there or maybe only coming from the stars in the sky. A cracked door shines light into a bedroom, lamps illuminate just the edges of things and people in a room, a street lamp softly brightens a street corner, a hotel creates bright shapes through its windows, the lights of a train shine in the distance. Even the spreads without a light source are magical. In monochrome spreads, you can make out cows in a field, the textures of trees and rocks, the majesty of a starry sky, the giant shapes and shadows of mountains--and then the glow of dawn that appears behind them. It captures that feeling--of being able to see in the darkness of night/early morning. It captures both the wonder of the experience and the playfulness of the children. Beautiful!!

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars. A quiet and immersive story about a family's nighttime excursion. Sensory details abound as the two children and parents travel through an all blue, black and white town and countryside. Close study is rewarded, as hidden animals and exquisite patterns emerge from the limited palette.
As lovely as the pictures are, and as well observed as the sensory details are, there is not much of a story here, nor the specific emotional resonance of Owl Moon. This feels most useful as an exercise to proceed a family's own nighttime excursion or as a mentor text for describing all the sensory details of an experience - the sounds, sights, temperature, smell.