All Through the Night: People Who Work While We Sleep

by Polly Faber, Harriet Hobday (Illustrator)

A beautifully illustrated picture book exploration of the jobs that keep a city running all through the night, and make it ready for the new day.

The sky is getting dark. In a big city, a little girl is eating her dinner, brushing her teeth and getting ready for bed. Meanwhile, her mother is putting on her coat and getting ready to go to work. But where will she go, and who will she see along the way? As the night goes on, follow nurses, cleaners, delivery workers, doctors, police officers, journalists and many more.

Meet the people doing the important jobs that help keep the city running all through the night, ready for the next day to come.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Nonfiction, Storytime

32 pages, Hardcover

First published November 2, 2021

About the author

Polly Faber is a children’s-book blogger and volunteer reading helper through the charity Beanstalk. With her family, she looks after her very own tiny free library outside their house in North London.

Reviews

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

With colorful illustrations and a diverse cast, this book shows readers the busy people working while most are asleep in their beds. So many workers out and about to prepare for the new day, keep things running, and make us all safer. My family has had a number of night workers and I'm sure many of you reading this review have as well. Among those close to me: Vermeer baler factory worker (my dad), police officer (husband and son #1), trucking logistics (son #2), fireworks booth security (son #2 and #3), and nurse (son #3 and DIL). Like the mom in the book, they keep out the light and sleep in the day so they can work for all of us at night. Thank you, night workers!

[Tracey Allen at Carpe Librum · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a night owl by nature, and I couldn't resist a picture book for children about those who work the night shift while most people are asleep. All Through the Night - People Who Work While We Sleep is written by Polly Faber and illustrated by Harriet Hobday.

In the beginning of the book, our unnamed narrator is getting ready for bed as she farewells her Mum who is heading off to work.

Each page showcases characters working through the night in a variety of jobs, including: cleaner, security guard, reporter, baker, midwife and more! Our narrator reveals her Mum's job at the end of the book which was a very nice touch.

This is a gorgeously illustrated book with an attractive colour palette that does a great job of conveying the night time setting. The location is an unnamed city, increasing the appeal of the book to young readers. Some of the character names will be difficult for young kids to sound out, but I'm assuming this is in the name of diversity.

All Through the Night by Polly Faber and Harriet Hobday is recommended for children aged 3-5, but I think kids a little older will still enjoy this gem of a book.

* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pitch-perfect illustrations created with paint, colored pencil, and then digitally edited accompany a story that is a tribute to all those hardworking night owls among us--those folks whose jobs require them to work all through the night and sleep during the day. It's not often that young readers come across a book such as this one although they are likely to be familiar with a parent, family member or neighbor whose job starts when others' ends. The little girl who narrates the story describes her nightly routine, which is the opposite of her mother's as one heads to bed and the other heads into the street. Readers won't be certain what the mother's job actually is until they reach the end of the book, and then they'll smile with the realization that she's been quite busy all night. In between the opening and the closing pages, readers are given glimpses of night workers--an office cleaner, a building security monitor, police officers on patrol, a reporter, a musician, a grocery store cashier, a deliveryman, a store stocker, a baker, train crew, paramedics, doctors, nurses, midwives, and yes, even a bus driver who navigates the city streets all through the night. Having grown up with a father who had to work what was called swing shift, changing his work hours every week with one shift late at night, I know how hard it can be to adjust to this way of making a living. Even adjusting the sleep schedule is hard on these night workers' bodies and sleep rhythm. The book concludes on a thankful note, one that should resonate with all readers. Where would we be if it weren't for those folks who are willing to work through the night for our convenience? This is yet another one of those children's books that may help children such as the narrator feel seen and understood while also expressing the importance of jobs such as the ones depicted on its pages.

[Kristian Beverly]

A nicely done picture book highlighting the important jobs that happen at night.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful picture book that describes the important night time activities that are going on when most of us are asleep. A wide variety of occupations are highlighted: cleaners, delivery workers, bakers, police officers, doctors, nurses, and many, many more. This book will be both informative and reassuring. A must-add to units celebrating community helpers.

[John Blacksad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Çizimleriyle, konusuyla çok güzel bir kitap. Hayatı gece başlayanlar üzerinden bir sürü şey öğrendiğimiz okuması keyifli bir iş.

Kendisi yatağa annesi ise işe giden bir çocukla başlıyoruz yola. Temizlikçiler, polisler, müzisyenler, fırıncılar, doktorlar… Geceye dair pek çok şey. Kitabı okurken dolu dolu yaşayan bir şehir hayatını özlediğimi fark ettim. Ama medeni bir şehir… (Medeni arapça Medine yani şehirden gelmesi gibi. Civilization, civil ilişkisi gibi) Maalesef şehir ortalamalarımız bu arzularımdan uzak. Ortalamamız kötü. Şehirlerimiz var ama…

Bu yetişkin lakırdılarını kenara koyarsak çocuklarla bol bol etkileşerek okuduk. Finalde ilk sayfadaki çocuğun annesinin otobüs şoförü olduğu ortaya çıkıyor. Böylece sonrasında tüm sayfalarda/temalarda otobüsün göründüğü yerleri bularak birkaç kez daha okuyoruz. Her sayfaya otobüs iliştirilmiş. Şehire ait illüstrasyonlarda farklı etnik kökenli insanlar, farklı kültür emareleri kullanılmış. Bir NYC hissi var.

Fibula’yı bir süredir takip ediyorum. Sonunda üç kitabını sipariş ettim. Onları da yazacağım ama içime tam sinmeyen bir şeyler var. Evet ciltli ve güzel basılmış (sırt kısmına bile özenilmiş bir) kitap, kuşe falan değil ama görselleri net bir baskı. Fakat… ciltli olmakla beraber 32 sayfa bir kitap için 160 lira etiket beni çok düşündürüyor. Butik bir yayınevi gibi duruyorlar, muhakkak kendilerince sebepleri vardır. Güçleri ona göre olabilir, yurtdışı döviz ve telif meseleleri akla gelebilir ama bu fiyata gümbür gümbür öneremiyorum.

[Wren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faber writes a book with illustrator Harriet Hobday, describing in word and image the people who work at night.

The pages are mainly beautiful, vibrant scenes in a major urban setting. There is scant text -- but well fashioned text -- explaining the job being depicted.

Here are some sample sentences:

"Ravi, who makes deliveries at night, when the roads are quiet, so he doesn't get stuck in traffic jams. He unloads groceries at the supermarket, where Dylan and Ruby are stocking shelves for tomorrow's shoppers." The image shows from L to R, his truck, Ravi with a dolly filled with boxes, Ruby at the door accepting the boxes, and Dylan on a ladder stocking shelves inside the store (visible through giant windows). next is a road with a cat and bird on it and more buildings and a couple of night owl people: a pedestrian getting a takeaway slice of pizza from a restaurant and a man dancing in his living room, visible through a third-story window.

In the background There is also a bus with a lone passenger visible through the window of the bus. This bus appears in all but two of the scenes. This makes a good "Where's Waldo" activity for readers of all ages. A couple of the pages have the bus obscured behind a lot of activity or at the side of the page, just partially in view. It was fun looking for the bus!

Each page is rich with these types of detail, showing young readers how big urban areas are active around the clock, even if it's in more understated ways.

This would make a good book for a reading station in a classroom since most information is presented visually. The teacher or librarian could read it once and young readers could then remember the various jobs: janitor, security officer, trash collector, news writers, musicians, baker, etc. The frame story takes the point of view of a family who says goodbye to mom and night when she leaves for her janitor job and then hello to her when she returns at sun up.

This book could help children whose parents work night shifts. They can see that many people work at night, not just their family member.

[Sabine Ibing · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abends in der großen Stadt macht sich ein Mädchen fertig fürs Bett, während die Mama zur Arbeit fährt. Viele Menschen arbeiten nachts, wenn wir schlafen: Die Busfahrerin, der Bäcker, die Krankenpflegerin, die Schienenarbeiterin, der Lieferant, Künstler:innen, die Polizistin, die Reinigungskraft, der Nachtwächter, die Journalistin, die Ärztin und viele mehr. Sie arbeiten, damit das alltägliche Leben rund um die Uhr funktioniert. Die Mutter des Mädchens bringt mit dem orangefarbenen Nachtbus alle Leute dorthin, wo sie gebraucht werden.

Beeindruckend sind die Illustrationen von Harriet Hobday, die in warmen Farben farbprächtig das Sachbilderbuch gestaltet hat. Atmosphärisch, mit viel Detail gibt es hier eine Menge zu entdecken. Die Farbauswahl erinnert mich an das Straßencafé bei Nacht von Vincent van Gogh. Das Kinderbuch ist nicht nur ein Hingucker. Es lohnt sich, einmal darüber nachzudenken, wie viele Menschen nachts arbeiten. Kennst du jemanden oder fallen dir noch mehr Berufe ein?

Polly Faber lebt mit ihrem Mann, ihren Söhnen und zwei schwarz-weißen Katzen in London. Bevor sie Schriftstellerin wurde, arbeitete sie als Hebamme und Sandwichbäckerin, begeisterte sich dann aber doch mehr für Texte und hat mittlerweile zahlreiche Bilder- und Kinderbücher veröffentlicht.

Harriet Hobday füllte bereits als Kind Skizzenbücher mit erdachten Figuren und Szenen. Sie verließ ihre Heimatstadt Yorkshire, um ein Studium der Illustration an der Cambridge School of Art zu beginnen, wo sie anschließend den angesehenen MA in Kinderbuchillustration absolvierte. Heute lebt und arbeitet sie wieder in Yorkshire.

[Vera Godley · Rating 4 out of 5]

We don't live in a 9-5:00 work world and much work that is vital is done throughout the day and night. The sun may set, but work still continues on through the dark night hours. In All Through the Night: Important Jobs that Get Done at Night the young child can see how adults work while the child sleeps and how they do the important jobs at night as well as during the day.

Bright, highly detailed illustrations show the continuous hustle and bustle of night. The story explores with brief text a wide variety of jobs that carry on during the night hours. For those families with a parent whose work involves night work, this will be invaluable in helping the child understand the multifaceted work of night. For other children, it will help them learn that while they sleep others are keeping the world safe, clean, fed, etc.

I received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young girl says goodnight to her mother as her mother goes off to work. The girl tells about all the important night work going on while others sleep, like the delivery people who deliver the "goods" to a bakery so the baker can be ready for morning breakfasts. Others include office building cleaners and security people, the police, paramedics and ambulance drivers, medical staff (including a midwife delivering a baby), and even parents up at night with babies. The story by Polly Faber is enhanced with the full-page illustrations by Harriet Hobday centered on the dark blue of night, lights in windows of city buildings and stores. For younger readers to learn about those important people taking care of many needs while many are sleeping. There's a fun surprise at the end when readers will discover that young girl's mother's "nightjob". It's a nice, informative book for the early grades.
Thanks to Candlewick Press for this copy!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a young girl gets ready for bed, her mother heads off to work—just one of many people whose important jobs begin after dark. This picture book introduces readers to a variety of nighttime workers and highlights the essential roles they play in keeping the world running while most of us sleep.

The concept is fresh and meaningful, especially for children whose families work unconventional hours. The illustrations are warm and reflective, adding depth to the quiet reverence for nocturnal labor. However, the text itself tends to be repetitive, lacking the energy or variety that could make it more engaging. It reads more like a list than a narrative, and the tone could benefit from more dynamism.

Still, this book will resonate with students who see their own families reflected in its pages, offering recognition and celebration of nighttime work often overlooked.

Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC.

[Rachael Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a mom who has a nighttime job and it explains how she and her son are on different schedules, it then goes through different kinds of nighttime jobs and why they have to be done at night time.
My first reaction to this book is how it looks at the book from a child's perspective, it explains why these jobs have to be done at night. The illustrations are very detailed, the more you look at them the more things you see they are awesome.
I would use this with grades pre-k through 1st because it will help the younger children understand why their moms are dads might work during the night. I would use these in the classroom when talking about community/ community helpers, or when a child is struggling with missing a parent or guardian.

[Christina Dendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book did a great job of the work it set out to do--taking us on a tour through a diverse cast of workers and their varied night-time work that supports their city and the rest of its people. From custodial work to health care to baking to bus driving to stocking shelves and delivery goods, the gorgeous and bright illustrations give the reader glimpses into the lives of individuals who go to work when most others are going to bed. The narrative is lyrical and fun to read, and there's so much to explore in each spread!

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

All through the night people in an urban setting are working cleaning office buildings, delivering supplies, stocking grocery store shelves, giving medical care in hospitals, and many other jobs. The text begins as a mother goes to work at night and comes home in the morning. The illustrations are very bright in colors with plenty of detail of the urban landscape. Illustrations were made with paint and pencil, and edited digitally.

[Janet Bruins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Night shifts in bright colors 🌙🔩🎨

I’m drawn in by how beautifully these night time jobs are illustrated in this book. It starts with watching mom leave the house when the sun goes down. Then it goes around to see various other people working… people names Georgio, Hassan, Amina, Johnny, Lem, Ravi, and Suyeon. Subtle adding diversity into its story.

All Through the Night is a great read with your child at night time 🥰

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Faber shows readers the wide variety of jobs that happen at night while they are sleeping. We start with the young child's mom as she leaves for work. From there, the page spreads offer looks at other people who are named as they fill their roles and make sure jobs get done. The detailed illustrations bring the roles to life for younger readers. A terrific read together as well as one that can be read on their own.

[Ashley Fabry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of people tend to think that if you're not working during the day, you don't work at all. This isn't true. There are so many people who have night jobs and those jobs are equally as important as day jobs. All jobs are important, and a lot of people think less of those who have a different job. We need day and night jobs to make the world go round. This book taught children the importance of it!

[Paige Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

All Through the Night: Important Jobs That Get Done at Night is a really good informational book about the important jobs that get done at night. The book is from this little girls point of view and how her mom has to go to work when she goes to sleep and her mom goes to sleep when she goes to school.

[Tayler K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Colorful and fun illustrations. I really liked the shiny foil bits on the cover.

This would be a great book to show kids about all the jobs that get done overnight.

My boyfriend used to work 3rd shift as a baker and it's a shame how much the world isn't set up to accommodate for night workers unless you're in a big city. (Try grabbing something to eat at 4am.)

[Isabella Canterino · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book "All Through the Night: Important Jobs That Get Done at Night" by Polly Faber is an engaging story about many essential tasks that take place after dark. With captivating illustrations and a rhythmic text, Faber introduces young readers to various nighttime workers, from doctors to sanitation workers. This book offers both education and comfort, making it a perfect read.

[Ty Mick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one’s been growing on me the more I read it, particularly the illustration side. I keep finding little details tucked away that tie different pages together. It took me a remarkably long time to notice that the orange bus appears on every page.

Plus it’s my one-year-old’s current favorite book. ❤️

[Elena Dobos · Rating 3 out of 5]

An useful book for the little ones to better understand that lots happen during the night time so that we can enjoy foods, cleanup, means of transportation in the morning. I find the illustration to have less originality, yet encouraging for the kids to try themselves to paint.

[Suzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful illustrations in the city about what happens at night. I hoe there'll be another of all through the night in the country. I would have loved this book when I was a child because I always wanted to go to the city and to live in a city. Gorgeous. But, the print is small and it would be hard to read to a child and the child could not read small print like this.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss.

[Melanie Gaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss.

[Shari · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of those lovely books that invite multiple reads, with so much happening on each spread. I love the focus on those who work at night, jobs that are often excluded in children's books.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful and colorful book that reminds us there are no small jobs. Gives little ones much to think about as night jobs are often overlooked......

[yağmur · Rating 4 out of 5]

bazı çizimlerin hisleri ilettiğini düşünüyorum

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this one. So awesome to highlight people who work during the night. I love that this book shows how much we need these jobs.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic and colorful book showing appreciation for the people who work hard through the night and how important they all are.