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The Night World
Everyone in the house is sleeping, but outside, the night world is wide-awake.
It's a wonderful night to explore!
Perfect for bedtime, this book from Caldecott Medalist Mordicai Gerstein celebrates the secrets of the night world and the joys of the sunrise.
It's a wonderful night to explore!
Perfect for bedtime, this book from Caldecott Medalist Mordicai Gerstein celebrates the secrets of the night world and the joys of the sunrise.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published June 16, 2015
5 people are currently reading
751 people want to read
About the author
Mordicai Gerstein
101 books72 followersMordicai Gerstein was an American artist, writer, and film director, best known for illustrating and writing children's books. He illustrated the comic mystery fiction series Something Queer is Going On.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 329 reviews
October 15, 2017
The Author's Note from the back:
'One night when I was four,
I awoke in the dark. I called to my father:
"Daddy, I have to pee!" He carried me to the bathroom,
but on the way back to bed, we went through the kitchen.
Out the window, where the familiar backyard should have been, I saw a place
I'd never seen before, full of dark shadows and strange silvery shapes.
"Where's the backyard?" I asked.
"You're looking at it," said my father.
"No," I said. "That's the night world. It's not for me."
I knew I would go out and explore it when I was a grown-up, but not now.
The next morning, my backyard had returned to where it had always been."
'One night when I was four,
I awoke in the dark. I called to my father:
"Daddy, I have to pee!" He carried me to the bathroom,
but on the way back to bed, we went through the kitchen.
Out the window, where the familiar backyard should have been, I saw a place
I'd never seen before, full of dark shadows and strange silvery shapes.
"Where's the backyard?" I asked.
"You're looking at it," said my father.
"No," I said. "That's the night world. It's not for me."
I knew I would go out and explore it when I was a grown-up, but not now.
The next morning, my backyard had returned to where it had always been."
March 1, 2017
Hm. I might like it more on another day. Probably would be treasured by some.
Fits the 'Night time is a good time' topic thread in the Children's Books group, though dawn is seen as even better.
(Pahrump)
Fits the 'Night time is a good time' topic thread in the Children's Books group, though dawn is seen as even better.
(Pahrump)
July 27, 2018
A boy and his cat explore their environment at night. Everyone in the house is asleep, even the fish. Outside is starlight and shadows. The boy explores the yard and the night time animals. When the sun comes up, the shadows disappear and the environment is flooded with colors.
Black and gray illustrations are printed on forest green pages. The boy explores the night time landscape and waits with the animals for the special occasion to occur. When the sun comes up the colors come back to the pages. This book will help young readers learn that night time is the same environment but looks different.
Black and gray illustrations are printed on forest green pages. The boy explores the night time landscape and waits with the animals for the special occasion to occur. When the sun comes up the colors come back to the pages. This book will help young readers learn that night time is the same environment but looks different.
December 14, 2021
I'm a night person, so I love pretty illustrations of night. Plus there's a cat. I went away for four days, and considered seeing a cat walk into a store a high point. As did my traveling companion, so don't judge.
Library copy
Library copy
April 13, 2023
This book is a wonder, a total wonder.
From the muted hushed gray black (book) cover of night…to the brilliant colors of day bursting with life and activity.
And to think, we do this every day.
From the muted hushed gray black (book) cover of night…to the brilliant colors of day bursting with life and activity.
And to think, we do this every day.
July 9, 2015
In the middle of the night darkness, a boy is woken by his cat who clearly wants to go outside. She leads him out of his room, through the dark house where everyone is asleep, even the fish. Then the cat speaks, saying that it is coming and it’s almost here. The two go outside where the grass is dewy, the air is warm, and the sky is filled stars. He can only see shadows everywhere. Some seem to be flowers and others seem to be animals who are also out at night, a deer, an owl, a porcupine and more. The birds start to call about it almost being here and slowly through the trees comes a glow. Dawn arrives. The animals depart off to sleep. And color floods away the shadows as the day shines into a glorious morning.
Gerstein has written a radiant picture book. He combines a mystery of what the cat is talking about that lengthens and deepens as the story unfolds. As the boy stands outside in the summer moments before dawn, there is a feeling of safety thanks to the animals gathered around him to witness the dawn too. There is immense pleasure is seeing the sun rise and that is captured vividly on these pages. From the hush and quiet splendor of the darkness to the dazzle of the day, this picture book is a perfect way to celebrate nature and each new start.
The illustrations are paramount here and they are immensely lovely. The dark pages in particular which are lit by the barest of lights, the deep blacks and greys of night are allowed to show their richness. The eyes of boy and cat light the darkness alone until outside where the stars in the sky join them as well, shining high above them. And the dawn that breaks so slowly over the horizon, first a glow and then becoming a full day with clouds, pastel colors and light.
A celebration of dawn, this picture book may just have early birds waking up to see the light break over their own dewy yards. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
Gerstein has written a radiant picture book. He combines a mystery of what the cat is talking about that lengthens and deepens as the story unfolds. As the boy stands outside in the summer moments before dawn, there is a feeling of safety thanks to the animals gathered around him to witness the dawn too. There is immense pleasure is seeing the sun rise and that is captured vividly on these pages. From the hush and quiet splendor of the darkness to the dazzle of the day, this picture book is a perfect way to celebrate nature and each new start.
The illustrations are paramount here and they are immensely lovely. The dark pages in particular which are lit by the barest of lights, the deep blacks and greys of night are allowed to show their richness. The eyes of boy and cat light the darkness alone until outside where the stars in the sky join them as well, shining high above them. And the dawn that breaks so slowly over the horizon, first a glow and then becoming a full day with clouds, pastel colors and light.
A celebration of dawn, this picture book may just have early birds waking up to see the light break over their own dewy yards. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
Read
June 28, 2015Shortly after 12:30 this morning Xena and I stepped outside for our final stroll before bedtime. Unlike during the day when breezes are steady, not a leaf stirred. Temperatures and humidity had dropped bringing clarity to the air. A half-moon was framed in the sky by birch tree branches now black. The few stars not affected by the light of the moon were as bright as ripe berries waiting to be plucked. The rest of the neighborhood was quiet. We were two lone observers.
During such unexpected moments as these it's easy to believe you are someplace entirely different than you are during the morning, afternoon and early evening. The Night World (Little, Brown and Company, June 16, 2015) written and illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein follows a cat and her boy on an excursion. Nothing is the same.
My full recommendation: http://librariansquest.blogspot.com/2...
During such unexpected moments as these it's easy to believe you are someplace entirely different than you are during the morning, afternoon and early evening. The Night World (Little, Brown and Company, June 16, 2015) written and illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein follows a cat and her boy on an excursion. Nothing is the same.
My full recommendation: http://librariansquest.blogspot.com/2...
August 6, 2023
The artwork in this is incredible, and as a night owl, I loved the focus on the still mysterious dimension of this world that is night. Then of course when day breaks, it’s even more beautiful for its proximity to night. This book captures that moment perfectly in art and words. Brilliant!
September 26, 2015
Oooh... I love the nighttime world. I love the way everything looks different at night and seems like a brand new place that what we're familiar with during the day. I am reminded of being a child looking outside at night and wanting to do just what this child did - to explore and discover how night changes everything. But more than anything, I love how the colors creep in onto the pages when the dawn finally comes. Creative and beautiful in a much simplified way, I would read this to a child at bedtime and then follow up with a foray into the back yard at dawn to watch the sunrise.
May 15, 2017
Mordicai Gerstein's gorgeous illustrations capture the shadowy night world and the magic of dawn perfectly:
However, I found the text verbose and kind of dull.
However, I found the text verbose and kind of dull.
June 25, 2015
I have a cat just like Sylvie. Wonderful book for a little one who might be afraid of the dark - the glorious colors at the end are a nice beginning to a new day!
September 18, 2015
I think this one will be on my Mock Caldecott list! The illustrations are stunning!
September 7, 2016
Uncomfortable. Giving my kid thoughts that running outside supervised by no more than a cat in the middle of the night is ok. Hmmm... no.
January 11, 2026
I like the idea of this book, but I’ll admit that the illustrations are not my favorite, and were even a bit unsettling (which is, like, KINDa the point, but I still think it could have been done better). And there’s this big buildup for SOMEthing, which is pretty cool, but it feels a little off for me, still. At the end of the day, it is a cool idea, I just don’t love the way it was executed.
January 23, 2025
“Watching the sunrise is like watching the creation of the world” -Mordicai Gerstein
This book is such an experience. Absolutely lovely. The paper, design, and artwork are outstanding. I never understand why a book like this is so hard to find and never famous.
This book is such an experience. Absolutely lovely. The paper, design, and artwork are outstanding. I never understand why a book like this is so hard to find and never famous.
May 2, 2018
As a morning person, this book greeted me like an old friend.
January 9, 2019
The illustrations are stunning in this book! They instantly won me over. The story is cute as well.
January 28, 2020
Fabulously moody black, white and gray illustrations set the mysterious mood for this exploration of the world at night.
January 28, 2018
A look at how your world looks different at night told in watercolors on dark paper and few words.
June 24, 2023
For everyone who's ever had to get out of bed to let the cat out. Another beautiful book by Mordecai Gerstein. This one's about how the night world transitions to the day world. According to the end papers Mordecai remembers "I've always been a great watcher of sunrises; to me, they are like watching the creation of the world.". After reading this book, I would enjoy watching a sunrise with my grandchildren. I would also enjoy exploring ways of drawing the night world.
March 2, 2016
The Night World by Mordicai Gernstein (2015)
Awards: None yet, but Gernstein has won a Caldecott in the past for The Man Who Walked Between the Towers
Target audience: 3-7 years
A little boy and his cat go outside at nighttime and see his yard covered in shadows. Then the sun rises and color is restored to the world.
Strengths:
-Gorgeous illustrations consisting of mostly black paint on gray paper
-Concept will be relatable to all children
Weaknesses:
-Not much plot or strong characterization
-The illustrations are a little busy-looking, especially the monochromatic pages
I liked The Night World, mainly because of the illustrations which were mostly black and gray, with a little white. The story is very simple, and it’s possible that older readers would find it boring. The book might work best for younger readers story-wise, but the illustrations might be hard to make out for very young readers, since they are somewhat busy and contain very few colors which can make differentiating objects difficult. It’s not a bad book and the illustrations are excellent, but I wouldn’t strongly recommend it.
Awards: None yet, but Gernstein has won a Caldecott in the past for The Man Who Walked Between the Towers
Target audience: 3-7 years
A little boy and his cat go outside at nighttime and see his yard covered in shadows. Then the sun rises and color is restored to the world.
Strengths:
-Gorgeous illustrations consisting of mostly black paint on gray paper
-Concept will be relatable to all children
Weaknesses:
-Not much plot or strong characterization
-The illustrations are a little busy-looking, especially the monochromatic pages
I liked The Night World, mainly because of the illustrations which were mostly black and gray, with a little white. The story is very simple, and it’s possible that older readers would find it boring. The book might work best for younger readers story-wise, but the illustrations might be hard to make out for very young readers, since they are somewhat busy and contain very few colors which can make differentiating objects difficult. It’s not a bad book and the illustrations are excellent, but I wouldn’t strongly recommend it.
July 14, 2015
A little boy is awoken by his cat who encourages him to explore the world at night. Everything familiar feels foreign with shadows making everything a little harder to discern. The sunrise is vibrant, colorful, and rings of celebration.
I like the tone of this book. The text and the artwork work really well together to give readers the delicious feeling of cautious fascination. The dark is a little scary, but mostly intriguing, something to be observed and experienced.
The author's note following the story speaks to this fascination with the night and demonstrates how this book achieves its purpose.
Acrylic, pen and ink, and colored pencil illustrations. PreK-2.
I like the tone of this book. The text and the artwork work really well together to give readers the delicious feeling of cautious fascination. The dark is a little scary, but mostly intriguing, something to be observed and experienced.
The author's note following the story speaks to this fascination with the night and demonstrates how this book achieves its purpose.
Acrylic, pen and ink, and colored pencil illustrations. PreK-2.
September 4, 2016
Man, I didn't expect the text to be so chilling! But I still loved it. The book is gorgeous. The gray paper is the perfect background for the white text and mostly-black drawings. It starts with just a few hints of color (the whites/greens of the eyes), but fully blossoms into beautiful and colorful drawings once the sun rises.
I'd love to see this read in a story time and hear how a librarian interprets "it's almost here" and "it's coming." I'm afraid I would read it too scarily...
I'd love to see this read in a story time and hear how a librarian interprets "it's almost here" and "it's coming." I'm afraid I would read it too scarily...
April 24, 2016
The book started well, with a nice black & white mysterious atmosphere and a cat. Everything happened at night, so I was expecting something a little magical and better than the fact that furnitures seem different in the dark. Fireflies or shooting stars would be good reasons to go outside at this hour, but it wasn't what was scheduled here and the conclusion was dull in my opinion.
June 29, 2015
Nice pictures and I liked that the kid in the story found darkness/night different instead of scary. However, I'm not sure it is a good idea to suggest that children sneak out of the house in order to watch the sunrise. Next time, find a window.
July 13, 2015
Love the entire concept of this title. Gorgeous! This is truly brilliant. A dark, usually known world, is busy and alive when it is explored at night. Slowly, morning happens. And wow, does it happen beautifully. All about the magic of light.
January 7, 2016
4.3 stars
Got this title from a list of 2016 Caldecott predictions.
A young boy and his cat explore the mysterious night world and welcome the dawn.
The Author’s Note at the end adds a personal dimension to the story.
Got this title from a list of 2016 Caldecott predictions.
A young boy and his cat explore the mysterious night world and welcome the dawn.
The Author’s Note at the end adds a personal dimension to the story.
May 3, 2015
Gerstein beautifully captures the mysterious magic of nighttime and the gloriousness of sunrise.
June 17, 2015
An interesting perspective on how your everyday world looks at night! Great illustrations!
June 13, 2015
Perfectly captures the wonder and mystery of a house and yard at nighttime.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 329 reviews