Synopses & Reviews
Count the nighttime lights on a train, a helicopter, a fire truck, and seven more vehicles in this bold picture book with die-cut surprises.
1 light, shining bright? A train!
7 lights, flashing red and white? A fire truck!
And so on all the way to ten lights. Part guessing game, part counting book, NIGHT LIGHT is a boldly imagined book for the preschool child who loves cars, trucks, and anything that goes. With die-cuts on every other page, this rhyming story features vehicles and counting, combining a high interest preschool subject with important preschool concepts.
Review
"Blechman’s graphic design background may account for his debut’s disciplined focus and polished execution. It’s a counting book about big vehicles—a winning combination right there—with an extra, innovative twist. He invites readers to identify the vehicles with a turn-the-page guessing game. First, spreads of pure black show only the vehicles’ distinctive signature of lights. “1 light, shining bright?” reads the first black spread, a small, die-cut circle on the right side creating a single white dot. A page turn uncovers the answer: “train.” The bold, crisp-edged, streamlined engine speeds toward viewers, its white headlamp front and center. “2 lights, hovering in flight?” the next jet-black spread asks, with two die-cut dots revealing tiny green and red lights. This time, it’s a helicopter, piloted by a roundheaded man resembling a Lego or Playmobil figurine. The typeface contributes to the light theme, too—made up of dots, it mimics the blinking displays of highway warning signs. The lights on the vehicles go up to 10, but young vehicle fans will want to reread (and “replay”) this book many more times than that." - Publishers Weekly starred review
Review
"Here’s a cleverly designed book that celebrates the fun of counting, the joy of rhyme, the excitement of imagination and—vehicles. On black pages with die cuts of various numbers and sizes emitting patches of light, a question is posed. Turn the page and surprise! Those die cuts are encircling the lights on a familiar vehicle presented as a simple geometric shape with a young boy as the driver of each of them. The reverse cuts add something new to the spread. For instance, the answer the first question, “Light Shining Bright?” is a train’s headlight. Cleverly that same circle is now set against the previous black page, and it’s the opening to a tunnel. The book starts with one cut out and, continues through 10, and ends at 1. The final double-page spread shows a night-light in a muted room filled with toy versions of the vehicles on the previous pages, the child now in bed, reading this book. Blechman has created an interactive offering with lots of possibilities and a perfect ending." — Edie Ching, Booklist starred review
About the Author
Nicholas Blechman is an internationally recognized illustrator, designer, and art director. His award winning illustrations have appeared in GQ, TRAVEL + LEISURE, WIRED, and THE NEW YORKER. He has taught design at School of Visual Arts and illustration at the Maryland Institute College of Art. He is currently the art director of THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW. NIGHT LIGHT is his debut childrens book. Nicholas lives in Brooklyn, New York with his wife and their son.