The Night Walk by Marie Dorléans Translated by Polly Lawson

It is the middle of the night. Mum wakes up the two children. There is no grumbling. The family set off in the into the darkness. They can hear the crickets and smell the honeysuckle. The big hotel is still awake and the last house in the village "was almost asleep. It had one eye open."

The small group of four keeping walking out of the village and up the path through the forest. At the lake they see a wondrous sight of the full moon reflected in the water but this is not their final destination. Mum suggests they lie down on the grass to see the "vast, glittering sky." After a short rest the family continue their climb up the hillside over rocks guided only by torch light. 

"We got there just in time. We watched for a moment. And then ..."

Where were they going?  Why did they walk through the night? What did they see?

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

Never hurried, this eloquent story is a beautifully measured tale not unlike one giant inhale (the journey) followed by a long, happy exhale (the closing spreads). Pick up a copy and make a night of it. Julie Danielson for BookPage

The Night Walk (French title Nous Avons Rendez-vous) was awarded the Prix Landerneau, in the best children's picture book category.  Marie Dorléans is the author of The Epic Race.