On a Summer Night by Deborah Hopkinson illustrated by Kenard Pak

"Who has woken the air? Was it the tree? Was it the rabbit? 

Was it the dog? Was it the cat? Was it you?"

Decades ago Mark McLeod talked about the need for quiet books and inspired by this idea I created a Pinterest collection. Now I have discovered On a Summer Night and it needs to go to the top of this list.

This picture book comes from the US but the setting is universal. It is a very hot summer night. 

"the world is still. Even the crickets think it is too hot to sing."

A little girl wakes up and hears a noise. This page turn will jolt you. It has no illustration - it is all dark brown with a tiny section of cream in the corner. Watch this corner because over the coming pages this slither of light will grow.

She investigates the noise and she finds her cat stretched out on the cool surface of the kitchen table. The cat wakes up with a start having also heard a noise from outside. 

"Then you step out to the yard, where the dew tips blades of grass and silvers your toes."

Just pause for a moment and think about this sentence. 

And so, the nighttime exploration continues. 

Picture books are often wonderful excuses to slow down and share a moment of gentleness in kids’ (and parents’) busy lives; this book feels like a deep breath and offers a chance to wonder and reflect.  Deborah Hopkinson

The short, deliberate phrases of Hopkinson’s verse and the simple illustrations with their subdued overall lighting combine to slow the nocturnal episode down to a properly and irresistibly snoozy pace. Spare, rhythmic, luminous… Kirkus

Publisher blurb: On a summer night, the world is still. Even the crickets think it’s too hot to sing. But all at once, a girl wakes. In the kitchen, the cat rolls onto its soft paws. A neighbor’s small white dog yaps, a brown rabbit peeks from a hedge, and the leaves of a cherry tree begin to stir in the breeze. Readers witness and wonder: Who has woken them all? In this soothing bedtime story, the quiet of a warm summer night is brought to vivid, magical life with the soft steps of bare feet, the padding of paws, and the bright, golden light of the moon. One by one, each creature is roused and then gently returned to sleep in a lovely and lyrical exploration of wakefulness, restfulness, and the mysterious calm of the night.

Now for the bad news. I have seen this book listed between AUS$35 to AUS$50! So sadly this might be a book you look for in your local public library.  You can see inside this book here. 

I have been a fan of Kenard Pak for many years - ever since my friend who is a Teacher-Librarian introduced me to his work. The art in this book is very different from his usual style - it has been created digitally and usually that form does not appeal to me but for this book it really works to create the night time atmosphere. Here is his web page.

US author Deborah Hopkinson is the award-winning author of seventy books for young readers including picture books, middle grade historical fiction, Little Golden Book biographies, and long form nonfiction.  Her titles have won the Oregon Book Award, the SCBWI Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Text, the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award, and the Green Earth Environmental Award. You can see other picture books by Deborah Hopkinson here. I previously talked about these two:

Butterflies Belong Here

Ordinary, Extraordinary Jane Austen

The Dinner that Cooked itself by JC Hsyu illustrated by Kenard Pak

The Chinese zodiac, known as Sheng Xiao or Shu Xiang, features 12 animal signs in this order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. Originated from ancient zoolatry and boasting a history of more than 2,000 years, it plays an essential role in Chinese culture. The 12 Chinese zodiac animals in a cycle are not only used to represent years in China, but also believed to influence people’s personalities, career, compatibility, marriage, and fortune. 

Five Elements: Ancient Chinese believed that all things in the world, including the zodiac animals, belonged to five categories – Metal (Monkey, Rooster), Wood (Tiger, Rabbit), Water (Rat, Pig), Fire (Snake, Horse), and Earth (Ox, Dragon, Sheep, Dog).

2024 is the Year of the Dragon. In this book the idea of marriage compatibility is explored with references to the Tiger, Dog, and Rabbit and the meaning of these signs - Wood, Earth and Fire. In the western world we might think of star signs in a similar way.

"Long ago in ancient China there lives an honest, respectful and hard-working man named Tuan."

"When Tuan was old enough to live by himself he moved into a small house with a small field but he was lonely and longed for a wife. And so Old Lin and Madame Lin hired a matchmaker."

Tuan was born in the Year of the Dog and so with a girl born in the Year of the Tiger there would never be peace. Then the matchmaker suggested the silk weavers daughter but her name contained the character for Wood and Tuan's name contained the character for Earth. 

"With Wood and Earth fighting for room under such a small roof there would never be growth."

One night Tuan found a snail in his garden. He took the snail inside and fed it cabbage leaves. Over the next nights, when Tuan returns from his work, there is always a delicious hot dinner waiting on his table. If you have read any folktales or fairy tales you might have guessed about this food. The snail contains a beautiful woman called White Wave - a fairy sent by The Lord of Heaven. 

No she is not destined to be a wife for Tuan but she leaves him her shell with the promise that it will always be filled with rice for his dinner. Over time Tuan does find a wife and the final words of this book will make you smile:

"They loved each other very much and lived happily together."

This would be an interesting book to share with a group of older students when you talk about Chinese New Year and the associated symbolism. The illustrations by Kenard Pak are wonderful. Hopefully you can find this book in a library because sadly it is now out of print. I have talked about other books illustrated by Kenard Pak - click on the label on this post to see more. 

Publisher blurb: Long, long ago, in a small town in ancient China, there lived an honest and respectful man called Tuan. Tuan was lonely and looked hard for a wife, but even the matchmaker couldn’t help him. One night, however, Tuan’s luck changed. And so begins the story of Tuan, White Wave, and the Dinner that Cooked Itself. This beautiful and enchanting Chinese fairytale will captivate the imagination with the perfect blend of magic and realism!

Video source: Skwigly

A breath of fresh air in its beauty and simplicity. Kirkus

This book feeds the mind and the senses as it is so atmospheric and the story really draws you in. Drawn in an amazing Chinese watercolour style, the book also shows you some simple Chinese symbols for some of the elements featured in the story so children can practice their Chinese calligraphy skills. It's a beautiful book indeed and such a satisfying story! Read it Daddy

The aesthetic of Pak’s work relies heaving on shape making, pattern and texture to encapsulate that traditional vibe of the tale. The muted palette and attention to detail all work together to make this book visually engaging and utterly beautiful. Particularly effective is the use of these techniques when creating images of food and landscape. Skwigly (you can see inside this book on this site)

You could compare this book with The Paper Crane.

Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak

 

This book is written in the form of a conversation. A young girl steps out of her house. She says hello to the trees, to a fox, to some butterflies, flowers, the wind and the chill in the air. As she walks we see the colours changing from green to gold. The birds explain they are heading south for the winter. The beavers are preparing their den so they can be ready for the cold. The leaves are changing colour on the trees and the sun sets a little earlier. By the end of her journey a whole day has passed and tomorrow Autumn will begin.

See inside this book here at Macmillan (US)

A visual success conjuring up the best about the seasons’ changes. Kirkus

There are so many wonderful details sprinkled throughout that an observant reader will catch – one of my favorites being her picking the last of the summer flowers and then silently gifting them to everyone she passes on the city street. Three Books a Night

We are having a wild time with weather here in Australia and yesterday it occurred to me that Autumn had actually begun so this is the perfect book. Autumn is one of my favourite seasons because the days are cool, not cold, and the nights are cold enough to snuggle under a warm quilt.

Kenard Pak is a master of illustration. I have talked about several his books previously on this blog. Here are the companion volumes:

Have you heard the Nesting Bird? by Rita Gray illustrated by Kenard Pak

 

This book reads like a poem or a song with the repeated refrain:

"But have you heard the nesting bird?"

This is not a new book (published 2014) but I do love the art of Kenard Pak so I wanted to share this lyrical and beautifully illustrated book with you. Good news the paperback edition of this book is available and it is a good price. 

At the back of the book there is an interview the the robin. Here are some sample questions:

• Why are you so quiet in your nest?
• Where is the father bird?
• Do you have a song?

In this book you will discover many birds and most will be unfamiliar to Australian children but that is why you should read this book because it contains birds you will meet one day in other books and perhaps one day even in real life. I'd love to see a chickadee or a whip-poor-will.

Here are the birds in this book - dove; woodpecker; starling; sparrow; swallow; crow; cardinal; chickadee; catbird; blue jay; whip-poor-will; wood thrush. Here are the doves.

The robin stays quiet through the incubation of her eggs so other predators will not find her babies. Robins do sing at other times:

cheerily, cheer up! my tree makes syrup! syrup so sweet!

I have made the discovery that we do have robins in Australia but they are not related to the robins in this book.  There are also American robins and European robins.

Listen to an American robin.

Image Source Audubon

As welcome as the robin in springtime. Kirkus Star review

Here is a video of Have you heard the Nesting Bird? If you want another book to explore bird sounds try to find this older book by Pat Hutchins:

Here are other books illustrated by Kenard Pak.

Here is the European robin:

Image Source iNaturalist

The Fog by Kyo Maclear illustrated by Kenard Pak

A few years ago I took a holiday organised by bird watchers. It was so interesting to witness their passion and perseverance. In this book the small yellow warbler (bird) is the watcher. He watches the humans and documents their types, characteristics, habits and physical attributes. Some of his classifications are presented in hilarious detail on the end papers such as the #666 solitary knitter,  the #670 dapper bespectacled book lover and #664 the American bushy browed surf-head.

Take a look here to see more of the pages illustrated by Kenard Pak

Warbler lives on a remote ice covered island. "People came from around the world to visit this special place."  This made me think of Fair Isle where I saw bird watchers at work.

One day a heavy fog rolls in. It stays and island life changes and the human visitors disappear. Then one foggy morning the small yellow warbler spots a human species #673 Red-hooded spectacled female (juvenile). The pair cannot talk to one another but some how they communicate. Warble is worried about the fog. The human suggests they write messages on  paper boats and launch them into the sea. 

Do you see fog?

Eventually the pair receive a series of replies to their question. A walrus in Canada can see the fog; a musk ox in Norway wants to fix it; and some cats in England reply too (their answer will give you a laugh). As more and more notes arrive from around the world the fog begins to lift.

Is this story an allegory?  I think it might be.  As people of the world gain awareness of our environment and the issues of climate change perhaps, with good communication, the fog will lift and our planet can begin to heal. Am I being too deep? Not according to some of the reviews I have listed here:

Kirkus gave this book a star review and used words like sharing and awareness of small things (mindfulness).
Quill and Quire use the word fable and allegory and link the story with climate change.
The reviewer at Whisked away by words also identifies deep themes in this book.
Kyo Maclear has a page of review comments on her web site.

Huge thanks goes to my friend at Kinderbookswitheverything for introducing me to Kyo Maclear and Kenard Pak. I am not sure I would have discovered these two talented book people without access to her wonderful library and Teacher-Librarian knowledge. I hope to talk about some other books by Kyo Maclear on this blog very soon especially The Good Little book.

You can read my recent post about Kenard Pak.  He is such a wonderful illustrator. I hope more of his books can find their way into our Australian school library collections.

When the world is dreaming by Rita Gray pictures by Kenard Pak

What does Little Deer dream
at the end of the day?
After the walking,
the grazing, the play.
In a bed of feathery ferns
beside her twin, she gently turns.
What does Little Deer dream?
Rushing rain from a rumbling cloud,
the sky is flashing; the sky is loud!
But tucked beneath our mushroom cap,
we're safe from every thunderclap.
Sleep, Little Deer,
safe and warm.
Dream until the light of morn.

This exquisite lyrical text asks this same question of Little Snake, Little Newt, Little Rabbit, Little Mouse, Little Turtle and Little Dreamer. You can see them on the cover. Each set of pages end with the refrain "Sleep Little ____, safe and warm. Dream until the light of morn."  I long for someone to set this lullaby to music. Changing colour and font also adds the dimension of another voice to this text - the voice of the dream itself.  Here is the dream of the snake:

Catching the wind, the kite sets sail;
and trailing behind, I am the tail!
Soaring above the tallest trees,
I dip and ripple in the breeze.

A perfect picture book is a marriage of art and words. The art in When the World is Dreaming is an example of this perfection.

Add this title to your list. It would be a beautiful gift for a young child and one that will be treasured. Read this review. Another reviewer uses the words ethereal and dreamy which seem the perfect description. Kenard Pak has collaborated on other books with Rita Gray - Have you heard the Nesting Bird? and Flowers are calling.

I recently saw a book written and illustrated by Kenard Pak and fell in love with his art and now I discover Kenard did the cover for The Poet's Dog which is a book I adored. These connections make me so happy. Here are two other books illustrated by Kenard Pak.

The poet's dog by Patricia MacLachlan

Serendipity

Synchronicity

Fate

Destiny

Compassion

Love

I felt quite poetic after reading this book and so I listed these words to describe the events in The Poet's Dog.

Dogs speak words

But only poets

And children

Hear  

This is the poem on the first page.

As with many books to fully enjoy this simple story of love and loss you do need to be prepared to suspend disbelief.

"I found the boy at dusk."  Who found the boy? Patricia MacLachlan gently reveals her story narrator.  "I nosed his hand gently."   Teddy is a dog but he knows words because for years he lived with the poet Sylvan.  Teddy heard the words of Yeats, Shakespeare, James Joyce, Wordsworth and Natalie Babbitt. He listened to Charlotte's Web; The lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; and The Ox-Cart man.

Teddy finds two children huddled in the snow. He takes them back to the house he shared with Sylvan. Over several days he gently cares for the children as the heavy snow forces everyone to stay inside.  Eventually Ellie, a young friend and poet, who helped Sylvan through his last days, arrives. The ending gives a beautiful sense of completion and affirms the circle of life.

Patricia MacLachlan writes in such a way that you will feel you are really in this remote place and truly experiencing the bitter cold. This is a book adult readers will love and it would be good to share quietly with a sensitive young reader. With only 88 pages the old adage applies "good things come in small packages".

Cover art for this book is by the talented Kenard Pak. You can hear an audio sample here.  After reading The Poet's dog you might look for Love that dog by Sharon Creech and any other books by Patricia MacLachlan.

Here is The Ox-Cart Man which Sylvan read to Teddy.

Ox Cart Man

Related Poem Content Details

BY DONALD HALL

In October of the year, 

he counts potatoes dug from the brown field,   

counting the seed, counting   

the cellar’s portion out,   

and bags the rest on the cart’s floor. 

He packs wool sheared in April, honey 

in combs, linen, leather   

tanned from deerhide,   

and vinegar in a barrel 

hooped by hand at the forge’s fire. 

He walks by his ox’s head, ten days 

to Portsmouth Market, and sells potatoes,   

and the bag that carried potatoes, 

flaxseed, birch brooms, maple sugar, goose   

feathers, yarn. 

When the cart is empty he sells the cart.   

When the cart is sold he sells the ox,   

harness and yoke, and walks 

home, his pockets heavy 

with the year’s coin for salt and taxes, 

and at home by fire’s light in November cold   

stitches new harness 

for next year’s ox in the barn, 

and carves the yoke, and saws planks   

building the cart again.

A quiet, elegant, poignant story suffused with humor, 

heart, and goodness.