Once Upon a Northern Night
by Jean Pendziwol (Author) Isabelle Arsenault (Illustrator)
In this exquisite lullaby, a parent paints a picture of a northern winter night for their sleeping child, describing the beauty of a snowfall, the wild animals that appear in the garden, the twinkling stars, the gentle rhythm of the northern lights and the etchings of frost on the window pane.
As the young child sleeps, wrapped in a downy blanket, a snowflake falls, and then another and another. The parent describes the forest of snow-covered pines, seeing a deer and fawn nibbling a frozen apple, a great gray owl swooping down with its feathers trailing through the snow. Two snowshoe hare scamper and play under the watchful eyes of a little fox, and a tiny mouse scurries in search of a midnight feast. When the snow clouds disappear, stars light up the sky, followed by the magical shimmering of the northern lights -- all framed by the frost on the window.
Jean E. Pendziwol's lyrical poem reflects a deep appreciation of a northern winter night, a desire to share it with her sleeping child and the love that underlies that wish. Isabelle Arsenault's spare, beautifully rendered illustrations, with their subtle but striking use of color, make us feel that we too are experiencing the enchantment of that northern night.
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Kirkus
A beautiful, lyrical celebration of northern light and night.
Copyright 2013 Kirkus Reviews, LLC Used with permission.
ALA/Booklist
The lilting, whispering rhythm and tone of Pendziwol’s poem, along with the accompanying serene landscape, make this a perfect snuggly bedtime read-aloud. A sweet and lovely tale of waking up to a world magically transformed by winter.
Copyright 2013 Booklist, LLC Used with permission.
Publishers Weekly
"Once upon a northern night/ while you lay sleeping,/ wrapped in a downy blanket,/ I painted you a picture," writes Pendziwol (Marja's Skis) at the outset of this comforting bedtime read. And paint a picture she does, taking readers through a wintry landscape as nocturnal animals explore a world covered in white. There's an emphasis on color throughout: a "great gray owl" with "great yellow eyes" examines "the milky-white bowl of your yard," and a fox, "in his auburn coat and long black boots," catches two snowshoe hares frolicking in the snow. Working in mixed media, Arsenault (Virginia Wolf), however, is judicious in her use of color. Early scenes are sketched in black, gray, and white, interrupted by an occasional red apple or cluster of green pine needles. As the night wears on, she uses deeper blues and greens to visualize a frozen lake, starry sky, and the surprise of the northern lights ("Once upon a northern night/ melodies of/ green and/ pink and/ orange/ sang across the sky"). A reverent ode to the magic and wonder of an icy winter night.
Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.School Library Journal
In a dark room, a child lies sleeping in a cozy bed, while the unnamed narrator (parent? Mother Nature?) describes the silently majestic landscape of the northern night as it unfolds beyond the child's window. Snow covers the pine trees that "[hold] out prickly hands to catch the falling flakes," nocturnal animals visit the backyard in search of food, frost coats the windows and the pond. Arsenault's full-page and double-page mixed-media illustrations (pencil, gouache, watercolor and ink) have a 1940s feel, a perfect accompaniment to the soothing tone of Pendizwol's lyrical text with its restful "Once upon a northern night" refrain. Bursts of color highlight a branch here, some red fruits there, the green of the Northern Lights, an owl's startling yellow eyes, in an otherwise black, gray, and white palette, building to the crescendo of the last spread-the lavender and white brilliance of a snow-covered panorama with a pop of orange from a fox and some deer. This is a lovely wintry bedtime story, best for sharing one-on-one.—Yelena Alekseyeva-Popova, formerly at Chappaqua Library, NY
Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
"[A] mixture of magic, wildlife and deep comfort." — "New York Times"
"A beautiful, lyrical celebration of northern light and night." — "Kirkus", starred review
"A reverent ode to the magic and wonder of an icy winter night." — "Publishers Weekly", starred review
"This is a lovely wintry bedtime story, best for sharing one-on-one." — "School Library Journal", starred review
JUV010000 - Juvenile Fiction | Bedtime & Dreams
