The Blue Hour

by Isabelle Simler (Author)

The Blue Hour
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

A lovely and tranquil celebration of nature.

The sun has set, the day has ended, but the night hasn't quite arrived yet. This magical twilight is known as the blue hour. Everything in nature--sky, water, flowers, birds, foxes--comes together in a symphony of blue to celebrate the merging of night and day.

With its soothing text and radiant artwork, this elegant picture book displays the majesty of nature and reminds readers that beauty is fleeting but also worth savoring.

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Hardcover
$19.00

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School Library Journal

Starred Review

K-Gr 3—This stunning ode to the "blue hour" celebrates the time of day between sunset and night. Beginning with endpapers that itemize more than 30 evocatively named shades of blue (peacock, azure, periwinkle, celadon), the striking oversize spreads feature richly textured images of blue mammals, sea creatures, birds, insects, and plants, many of whose "blueness" extends to their name. "A blue fox slips through the arctic cold. Among the water lilies, blue poison dart frogs gather, croaking to each other." While the text is spare, it manages to convey the peace that befits the transition from day to night in the natural world. But the glory of this book is the majestic illustrations, drawn in a fine scratch art style. As twilight progresses, the underlying oranges and yellows in feathers, wings, and leaves glow against the deepening blue until darkness leaves nothing but a brilliant moon, stars, and silhouettes. The final page includes a map showing where each of the animals can be found. VERDICT With its calming tone and gorgeous visuals, this title is a unique choice for bedtime collections and a glorious introduction to the natural world.—Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

Catholic News Service
"Rarely does a book so beautifully capture with images and prose the majesty that is God's creation of nature."

The Wall Street Journal
"Richly Illustrated. . . . Each shade of blue seems prettier and more dramatic than the one before, giving emphasis to the color's remarkable tonal varieties in a picture book that both dazzles and soothes."

Kirkus Reviews
"A visual rhapsody in blue. . . . Each image dazzles."

School Library Journal (STARRED review)
"With its calming tone and gorgeous visuals, this title is a unique choice for bedtime collections and a glorious introduction to the natural world."

Omnivoracious
"Visually stunning. . . . The Blue Hour would be perfect for bedtime reading: its lovely images might wing their way into a fortunate child's dreams."
Isabelle Simler
Isabelle Simler has written and illustrated over twenty children's books. The Blue Hour, Sweet Dreamers, My Wild Cat, Plume, and A Perfect Spot (all Eerdmans) were each featured in the Society of Illustrators "The Original Art" annual exhibition, and Plume was named a New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book. Isabelle lives in France. Follow her on Instagram @isabellesimler or visit her website at isabellesimler.com.

Vineet Lal is a translator of books from French to English, including A Perfect Spot, The Brothers Zzli, and A Head Full of Birds (all Eerdmans). He studied French at Princeton University and the University of Edinburgh. Vineet lives in Scotland. Follow him on Twitter @vineet_uk.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780802854889
Lexile Measure
740
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
Publication date
February 20, 2017
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV029000 - Juvenile Fiction | Nature & the Natural World | General
JUV002000 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | General
Library of Congress categories
Animals
Nature
Blue
Twilight

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