Just One Little Light by Kat Yeh illustrated Isabelle Arsenault

"When you find yourself in the dark the deepest dark the deepest dark

remind yourself you always have a light and as you wander you will wonder

how something so small can be enough when everything around you feels so big.

But one little light just one little light is enough to light the way and reveal what lies in your path.

If you are afraid just take one breath and hold these words safely within

One little light cannot light the whole sky ... but it is enough to begin."

Each page turn of this book is like welcoming dawn. The narrator comforts the child:

"You will remind yourself whenever it's dark that you can always find the light

And you will wander in the wonder that something so small was enough to start something BIG."

Image source: Isabelle Arsenault

Here is a Storymakers interview. You will think about the words wander and wonder in a very different way after watching this 6 minute presentation which includes a simple but effective craft activity.

The delicate, lovely illustrations, rendered in gouache, charcoal, and pastel, feature spirited, racially diverse children. As the text proceeds, more light and colors pervade the pages.  A sweet, upbeat guide to cultivating optimism in young children. Kirkus

In this book, both author and illustrator come together seamlessly as they encourage readers to move through the thick, dark cloud that alludes to the heavy emotions that sometimes stop us in our tracks and just don’t seem to go away. ...  every breath we take and every reminder about the courage we have within chips away at the darkness, revealing the bright, colourful beauty that lies on the other side. Montreal review of Books

I talked about Canadian illustrator Isabelle Arsenault in a previous post. She was shortlisted for the Hans Christian Andersen award in 2020.  Her art in Just one little light is truly special. This is another one of those books where I marvel at the way the illustrator has taken a brief, but also lyrical text, and given it another whole dimension. Here are other books illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault:

The Black Rabbit by Philippa Leathers

It is a beautiful sunny day. Rabbit steps out and sees a huge black rabbit is following him. He tries running away but that doesn't work. He tries hiding but when he steps out from behind a tree that pesky Black Rabbit is waiting for him. Rabbit runs away again - this time into the deep, dark woods. Oh no - a very real predator is waiting. Rabbit runs again back out of the forest and this time - (spoiler alert) - the Big Black Rabbit somehow saves his life!

"Rabbit smiled and somehow he knew that the Black Rabbit was smiling back. Hand in hand, they bounced off across the field."

Publisher blurb: Rabbit has a problem. There's a large black rabbit chasing him. No matter where he runs--behind a tree, over the river--the shadowy rabbit follows. Finally in the deep, dark wood, Rabbit loses his nemesis--only to encounter a real foe! Kids who like to be in on the secret will revel in this humorous look at shadows and friendship.

Teachers often ask for books that explore shadows. Oddly, while we see shadows everywhere on a sunny day, the concept of shadows and how they form and change is quite a complex one. Using picture books such as the ones you can see in this post are a perfect way to explore this science topic. This book, The Black Rabbit, was first published in 2013 but luckily the paperback edition is still available. Here is the web site for Philippa Leathers.

You are sure to think Peter Pan, but here are some other companion reads:

Here is the Kirkus review

Suzy Lee is the 2022 winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award

Read this post about Moonbear 

And here are some more books I would like to explore:

Read the Kirkus Review

Here is my post about April Pulley Sayre

Read more about the illustrator Sydney Smith

See inside this book here.

Here are a couple of Non Fiction books to read to younger children about shadows and you could explore the shelves with other books about light [535]:

My Shadow

BY ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,

And what can be the use of him is more than I can see.

He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head;

And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.

The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to grow—

Not at all like proper children, which is always very slow;

For he sometimes shoots up taller like an india-rubber ball,

And he sometimes gets so little that there's none of him at all.

He hasn't got a notion of how children ought to play,

And can only make a fool of me in every sort of way.

He stays so close beside me, he's a coward you can see;

I'd think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me!

One morning, very early, before the sun was up,

I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup;

But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head,

Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed.

The King who banned the Dark by Emily Haworth-Booth

"There was once a little boy who was afraid of the dark."

The problem is this little boy was a Prince who one day becomes the King and on that day he decides to ban the dark.  His advisors tell him the people won't understand and that they will revolt but ...

"If you make them think it's their idea ... it might work."

So the advisors spread rumors - the dark is scary, the dark is boring, the dark is stealing your money and taking your toys. The propaganda works and eventually the people themselves demand a ban on the dark. Here is a wonderful opportunity to have a deep discussion with a group of older students about the role of propaganda and the way the King manipulates his people to follow his beliefs.

The authorities achieve 24 hour sunlight by building an enormous artificial sun. Here is another opportunity for a discussion with a group of students - what will happen to the people if it is always daylight. There is no night.

At first everyone enjoys the endless days. They even make special light hats but after a day or two everyone becomes so exhausted and so a few brave souls turn off their lights.

This is not allowed. To enforce the new daylight laws the king appoints Light Inspectors. People have to pay a fine if they dare to switch off. Of course even the King cannot sleep. The advisors suggest a big party might distract the people so they plan for a giant fireworks display.

"But the people weren't as silly as the King's advisors thought they were. Whisper by whisper they hatched their own plan."

I think you will have made the connection here - fireworks need darkness. The people unite and everyone turns off their lights and some daring citizens climb a wall and switch off the artificial sun.

"The sky went dark. The King shuddered.
'We must turn the sun back on, Your Majesty!' shouted the advisors. 'We must crush the upsrising! We must punish the people!"

I will leave you to read this book to discover what happens next.

Take a look at this review from The Bottom Shelf.

Emily Haworth-Booth has created a bit of a masterpiece here:an intriguing and compelling story that is complimented by delightful illustrations. Little Parachutes

This is a really fantastic and original story, that offers a fantastic moral lesson about balancing things out - after all how can we appreciate the light without darkness and vice versa? ReaditDaddy

You can see some of the preliminary drawings by Emily Haworth-Booth on the Klaus Flugge web site.

For younger students I would pair this book with The Emperor who Hated Yellow by Jim Edmiston.