Night Gliders

by Joanne Ryder, Melissa Bay Mathis

Four furry squirrels leap and glide through the night sky, feeding and playing until the approach of daybreak

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Family

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Joanna Ryder is an award-winning author whose books offer a unique blend of poetry and science. Her innovative Just for a Day series invites children into the world of wild animals, ranging from a sea otter to Tyrannosaurus rex. Ms. Ryder says, "Children know that my books often ask them to imagine being a different creature. So they always ask me which animal I would choose to be. I'd be a flying one, I tell them. Or if I could, I'd wish for wings. And I've discovered children would love wings, too. But which ones to choose? I wrote Rainbow Wings to help us decide." Ms. Ryder lives in Pacific Grove, California.

-taken from www.balkinbuddies.com

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Text to learning connection

After reading this story I plan on having children do an identifying activity. I will show the children different animals. They will be shown animals that are typical of being out during the day and ones that they may have only glanced at during the night. We will reflect on the story and and what we have learned by classifying animals as nocturnal or niurnal (active during the day). We will then discuss what reasons a animal might have for being more active during the night that the day.

[hhhhhhhhh · Rating 4 out of 5]

adorable!

[Anna Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the art was beautiful, it wasn't anything I would keep in our homeschooling collection, sadly.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too many writers think that picture books have to rhyme, so they try to do that in their books, imitating, perhaps, Seuss. Unfortunately, because too many writers have no idea about poetry, the rhymes often fall flat and do, indeed, sound trite.

Not so in this book. The text makes a real, a good poem, one that I wouldn't be ashamed to read aloud on a crowded bus. The author does not talk down to children either. Lyrical is the best word for the poem.

I will also note that the artwork is equally well-done, and suits the mood set by the text.

The author's note at the end about flying squirrels is also appreciated.

[Destiny Dawn Long · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations are what made me pick this book from the shelf. They've got such amazing lighting techniques in them--they really seem to glow. And they've got a softness and roundness that should appeal to younger children.

The poetic text is nice, although sometimes the rhythm felt a little off, and it made me stumble a bit while reading to my daughter. But I appreciated the overall feel of the language, and that the author doesn't talk down to children.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Horrible poem. I doubt any child would much like the words or rhythm. The illustrations were remarkable though; positively beautiful.