Beatrice likes the dark. She likes black clothes, graveyard picnics, and a sky full of stars. Her sister, Roo, likes the light. She likes bright clothes, picking strawberries, and hot, sunny days. Beatrice and Roo are nothing alike and don’t understand each other. Can Beatrice help Roo love the dark as much as she does? Can Roo help Beatrice love the light? Or are they simply too different to get along?
With lushly detailed artwork, award-winning illustrator Khoa Le brings to vivid life acclaimed author April Tucholke’s heartwarming, slightly spooky tale about two very different sisters who learn to celebrate their individuality, understanding that love runs deeper than their differences.
April Genevieve Tucholke is the author of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea,Between the Spark and the Burn,Wink Poppy Midnight, The Boneless Mercies, and Seven Endless Forests. She also curated the horror anthology Slasher Girls & Monster Boys. Her books have been published in sixteen countries, and have received ten starred reviews. They have been selected for the Junior Library Guild, Kids' Indie Next picks, and YALSA Teens Top Ten. When she's not writing, April likes walking in the woods, exploring abandoned houses, and studying poison. She currently resides in Oregon wine country.
Beatrice likes the dark. I can relate, Beatrice! This beautiful children’s book is about sisters learning to appreciate their differences. The illustrations are gorgeous.
What a lovely little tale of sisterhood and opposites making the world go round. Charming prose and enchanting pictures. A perfect fall picture book (or anytime of year!). <3
I adored this beautiful picture book about sisters who are different and love each other for their differences. Uniqueness is embraced and understanding for each other is what you learn from each other. Such a wonderful way of telling this story!
Artwork: 4 stars 🌟 Story and characters: 4 stars 🌟 --- Listened to the author read it on Instagram while showing the illustrations. (She did a good job reading it)
Really enjoyed the story and I kept rewinding to look at the art:)
Not to overuse the words but a sweet and lovely story that got me smiling. (Needed that)
Picnics in graveyards, and potions in attics. This is a beautifully illustrated, poetically told tale of sisterhood and overcoming differences. I love it.
Beatrice likes the dark and dresses appropriately. Her sister Rue likes the light and fears the dark.
My wife read this aloud to my daughter and me, and after a lingering visit to the attic and a scene of the sisters sharing a bed, I mentioned I was unaware that V.C. Andrews had written a picture book. After a quick check of the cover to reassure I was joking, we finished the book but then ended up discussing Flowers in the Attic for the next half hour. I have never actually partaken myself, but the other two had, and my daughter had coincidentally watched the first filmed version the very night before.
The conversation was much better than this book could hope to be.
The artwork was pretty and the story was sweet, about two sisters who are almost literally as different as night and day, but still love each other anyway. They share what they love with each other and respect what the other loves, even if they don’t like it themselves. What the world needs more of, being invited into where others are and respecting their space, while also sharing their space as well. 4, I love the art, stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I think this book is beautiful. I can think of several students who would gravitate to the dark setting. I really enjoyed the light setting, too. I may purchase this for friends who love the Nightmare Before Christmas.
Beatrice likes the dark. She likes black clothes, graveyard picnics, and a sky full of stars. Her sister, Roo, likes the light. She likes bright clothes, picking strawberries, and hot, sunny days. Can Beatrice help Roo love the dark, as she does? Can Roo help Beatrice love the light? Or are they simply too different to get along? ✍🏻 I simply cannot get enough of this picture book! Maybe it's because I have a soft spot in my heart for a story of two sisters, one light, one dark. Or maybe it's the absolutely gorgeous illustrations. Or the funky house full of cats that they live in, mixing potions in the attic. (Practical Magic Movie Vibes). It may be all these things but it is also a very tender and touching book about individuality and loving each other above our differences. Bravo!👏🏻 🖤
Can I give this book all the stars? Ahhh, so many pieces of this make my heart sing. The artwork is detailed enough to be real, but messy enough to be imaginative. The story is deep and lovely and true. The voice is playful, childlike and funny. The characters hold space for each other. I cried, in public, holding this book and reading it for the first time.
Really great illustrations, full of witchy whimsy. Not sure if kids would like this, but goth girls who are bewildered by their basic sister who shops at Lululemon would resonate with this.
Stylish. Will probably appeal to adults or teens more than kids. Beatrice likes dark clothes and black cats and gloomy attics. Her sister Roo likes bright colors and butterflies and strawberries. They manage to find some common ground.
I loved this book. It’s beautiful pictures show the story of two very different characters one is dark and the other is light. It shows that we can get along with people who are different than us. I also love the representation for students who may not be rays of sunshine and shows them that they are still beautiful and unique.
I absolutely loved this picture book. The cover immediately draws you in and hypnotize you with its amazing color scheme. Inside, the story introduces Beatrice, a girl who loves the dark. From her clothes to having picnics in the graveyard. We also meet Beatrice's little sister Roo. The two of them couldn't be any more different. Roo loves sunshine, picking fruit, and doesn't like the darkness that much.
Will the sisters be able to see eye to eye? What happens when two sisters are so different, but their love for each other is extremely strong. I could literally read this every day and night. My five year old daughter loved this story. The illustrations are like anything I've seen in a picture book.
This story is told in beautiful prose surrounded by whimsical illustrations, and Sophie and I were captivated from cover to cover!
The dedication from the author really says it all…”To those who are afraid of the dark, and to those who are afraid of the light…the world needs you both.”
This book is a love letter to Autumn and all things fun and spooky. It was a very empathetic story about 2 sisters who are very different but realize that their differences can be used to help each other through difficult experiences. The art work by Khoa Le is just gorgeous and I loved the exquisite writing as well. It was a wonderful adventure that 2 sisters shared with each other. It's kind of hard to describe! It's such a wonderful book!
The illustrations are outstanding in this book. I love the lyrical text and the repetition of words that give the book a dream like feel. It is odd and strange, but somehow it all works. I feel like this a book that some quirky kid will pick up and fall in love with... while other kids may just go "huh?" after reading it. Definitely one I need to revisit.
At first this presents as a dark and light story, but really it's a moon and sun story. Beatrice prefers the dark, but has a distinct moon vibe, silvery and ethereal and shadowy. Roo thrives in the light, but has a sunny personality and loves cheerful, warm, bold things. But this sisters support each other and love each other despite their differences.
My goth child loved this book. A sweet story of two sisters who have nothing in common, except their love for each other. Lovely illustrations and a great read (especially for kids like mine who adore all things dark and spooky).
What enchanting illustrations! These two sisters are as different as night and day, but they learn how to let love bridge their differences by sharing what makes each girl so special. The lyrical text and fascinating artwork provide a lovely bedtime story and dream fodder.