In the Sky at Nighttime

Imagine you live in a small village in the far, far northern reaches of North America. Now step out of your imaginary home in this little village in the cold of winter and the dark of night. What is it you will see and what will you hear? There are stars that twinkle and maybe you will see the Northern Lights. A hunter might return from his work. Snow might fall. The moon might shine. You might hear the laughter of children or the “CAW” of a raven nesting atop a building. You might even hear a soft lullaby as a mother rocks her baby.

Author Laura Deal has written a sweet text with a lovely cadence through it that will find a happy audience with youngsters, particularly at the end of a day as they settle in and settle down for the night. The dark and dreamy illustrations by Tamara Campeau are the perfect complement to Deal’s spare, lovely writing. It is refreshing to see such a different setting for a children’s book, and also to see Native people populating the pages.