Caldecott Part V

The House in the Night is one part picture and one part poetry and wholly enchanting. This picture book is the newest Caldecott winner, 2009, and the perfect bedtime book. One can easily imagine parents reading sleepy children this peaceful storybook. The illustrations are dark with touches of golden light dotting each page and the language, while sparse, is melodious.

The story, according to the jacket is “naming nighttime things [that] are both comforting and intriguing” (S. Swanson, 2008, Jacket Cover). The story does indeed identify items like a book and a bird in the book but the naming will confuse older children. I found myself confused when the young girl reading the book was pictured flying on the bird from the book. I began to understand she was imagining being a part of the story after I reread the pages several times.

I took the time to read customer reviews of this book on Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com alongside editorial reviews. Readers seem to either LOVE or HATE this book, capital letters intended. I attribute the intense reactions to the poetic language used in the text. The meaning of the poem isn’t clear at first reading—there is mention of light and love throughout the book and I’m inclined to think the author intended the light to make the reader feel warm and loved but I think the language turns some readers off. Preschoolers and younger children will enjoy the pictures and flow of the words while older children, children used to specific stories like Kitten’s First Full Moon, might be confused by the plot and not like the book. The House in the Night is reminiscent of Goodnight Moon, a book that accomplishes the same goals but with a solid plot.

The intent of the author is for this book to be read at bedtime, when children are in need of soft voices and sparse, comforting, loving light. If read properly, the book should have a calming effect on young children, making way for pleasant, easy dreams. I think this could be frustrating and meaningless when read by someone who desires an obvious story. And yet, the book could be everything the author intends when read to the proper audience.

Swanson, S. (2008). The house in the night. New York: Houghton Mifflin.