Night Guard

by Synne Lea, Stian Hole (Illustrator), John Irons (Translator)

Friendship, fear, loneliness — these are things that are universally experienced but difficult to describe. In this arresting poetry collection, Synne Lea explores these concepts and more through the thoughts and experiences of a family. As the family members examine their connections with each other and the world around them, they gain a deeper appreciation of love and friendship and learn how to reach beyond the confines of their own isolation.

Accompanied by breathtaking artwork, these enchanting poems will stay with readers long after they have turned the final page.

Genres: Poetry, Young Adult, Childrens, Juvenile

82 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2013

Reviews

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surrealist poetry for children? Maybe? There seems to be something very dark and dreadful at play. Hopeful, too.

[Amalie Vågene]

Dyster og rare

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful, strange, surreal. Hole's collaged illustrations are dreamy and breathtaking, fitting the enigmatic, introspective mood of the poems perfectly.

[Sharla Desy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Odd book. Maybe something was lost when it was translated from Norwegian? It is a book of poetry with all the poems seemingly interconnected and relating to the life of a family: mom, dad, older sister, younger brother.
I have nothing but questions after reading this heavily illustrated book. Is mom depressed or suffering from some kind of mental illness? Is the younger brother injured? Is the dog dead? Did they get another dog, or do they have a desire for a dog with an inability to choose one? What is with all the birds? They are present in many more illustrations than poems. One poem in particular mentions crows and swans...black and white...do they represent life and death? Darkness and light? A traumatic event in the house and a moment of healing? I just don't know.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book definitely confused me throughout the way, but that added an extra layer of mystery to the book. Such a short book - barely any text, and lots of illustrations, but was somehow able to send a surreal message to the reader. I'm not sure what this message is, but I will definitely revisit this book someday. Definitely recommend this book to someone who would want to read a surreal book and images.

[Mari - loves to read · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fine, tankefulle dikt med nydelige illustrasjoner av Stian Hole. Jeg hørte lydboken med boken foran meg, lest av forfatteren selv. Det var en veldig fint opplevelse. Lyttet sammen med 9-åringen, hun likte ikke diktene, kun tegningene. «Det er jo bare mange ord som bare er satt sammen etter hverandre jo», sa hun.

[Ester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dette er dikt til barn, men det er nydelige dikt uansett alder vil jeg si! Det siste traff meg rett i hjerterota. Vakre dikt til å undre seg over og snakke sammen med barn om, eller til å lese og nyte på egen hånd, slik jeg gjorde.

[Lizzy Seitz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.0 out of 5 stars

My favorite thing about this book was the illustrations. The poems left something to be wanted though. I think there was just something that was lost in translation since this was translated from Norwegian and it left part of the story in the original translations.

[Simone Hagemann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jeg tror aldrig rigtig, jeg bliver fan af digte. Når det er sagt, så var jeg dog vild med kombinationen mellem digtene og Stian Holes fine illustrationer, som på en måde skabte en hel drømmeverden af poesi - der var bare kun ganske få af dem, som rent faktisk ramte mig.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weird and bizarre, this would be a great recommendation to middle grade students that feel a lot of...feelings.

[Elaine Fultz, Teacher Librarian, MLS · Rating 4 out of 5]

So strange and beautiful.

[Renée LaTulippe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sophisticated, insightful, beautifully rendered free verse for MG/YA by Norwegian poet Synne Lea, set against a magnificent background of surreal, magical illustrations by Stian Hole.

[Matthew Archibald · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous book of poetry for children. Very emotional and a little surreal, but the illustrations are as beautiful as the poetry.

[AGMaynard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely and the illustrations add to the loveliness...

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its confusing..

[Lori Ruthford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book in verse. I may have read it too fast. My curiosity kept me reading.

[(old.enough.for.fairytales) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful poetry and whimsical illustrations. I know it's written for a middle grade audience, but I think most middle grade students will find the poetry difficult to fully comprehend. As an adult though, I absolutely loved it.

[Crystal Hutchinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually received this book as a physical book as an early review poetry book. Poetry, or perhaps prose? It is translated from the Norwegian, and in one instance, actually has a note at the bottom of the page to help explain a couple of names that are well known in Norway, but completely unfamiliar in America.
This is not a book you will likely read to a child at bedtime and the child will understand. It is very conceptual and evoked a somewhat sad emotion in me.
The visuals are thought provoking. One side is the text, on a white page, on the other page is an illustration.
I especially like the text on the back cover, "Just say if you need a friend. If I were you, I would call out for me."
Overall, this book is quite intriguing.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This prose-ish/poetry-ish collection is somewhat like a verse novel that centers around a family and their relationships with each other. There is a mother whose feelings change based on whether she is sleeping or not and the child who watches her, there are siblings, and an illustration on many of the pages in a beautiful watercolor etching with odd items and typical household items. The haunting language is beautiful with one of my favorite lines: "Who will / feel sad when I cry?"

Update: Reread and generally appreciate the illustrations more than the prose because while it's full of emotions, it's abstract and unfocused.

[Bella · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book! First, the illustrations are gorgeous. They are poetic in their own right, making the reader think about the images and compounding the feel and beauty of the words. And the words, each poem is equally as beautifully haunting and visceral as those illustrations. It makes me wonder what, if anything, is lost in the translation from the original Norwegian. Such a beautifully strange book for a child. I know I would have loved it had I had it as a kid.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Concepts and feelings difficult to explain like friendship, fear, and loneliness are explored in contemplative verse and stunning illustrations through family members examining their connections with each other and the world around them. A beautiful and surreal Norwegian import.

[Sophia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Illustrations: 4. Poems: 2. Didn't match eachother. Not a successful cooperation. Hole is an amazing artist though! Soulful drawings.

[Sarah Verhasselt · Rating 2 out of 5]

De gedichten konden me niet echt raken, maar wel een pluim voor de prachtige illustraties!

[Neda Alaei · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fine dikt med avslappende, underliggende toner. Noen traff meg mer enn andre, men alt i alt en søt perle av en diktsamling. Vakre illustrasjoner.

[Vilde · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5

[Caitlin Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book broke me. I do not understand enough and it makes me sad and it's so beautiful and yearning.

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but odd poems; the illustrations do not always illustrate the poem they are facing.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Truthfully I didn't know what to make of this book but I found myself to be sort of mesmerized.

[Nadine · Rating 5 out of 5]

#poetry #sad #perspective
Beautifully illustrated book of verse showing multi-perspectives on life and love and seasons and all.

[Iris · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations by Stian Hole are very beautiful and very strange, creating an air of mystery and surrealism. They reminded me of The Son of Man by René Magritte.



There are many small intricate details in the artwork for the reader to savor and ponder over. In some ways this book made me feel like I was playing Dixit. It was not always clear how the artwork corresponded to the poems. Some readers may find this frustrating since the poems themselves have a vague and dreamlike quality. However, I enjoyed thinking about the potential connections between the artwork and the various interpretations of the poems. I had feelings of inquisitive wonder, loneliness, and sometimes uneasiness.

The poems have been translated from Norwegian by John Irons. I sometimes felt the line breaks occurred in strange places. Maybe it had to do with the translation process and differences in the syntactic structures between Norwegian and English. Or perhaps it is just a part of Synne Lea's poetic style.

This book is definitely worth multiple rereads. I think it would be particularly nice to read outside surrounded by nature, or maybe while lying in bed in a dark and quiet room.

My favorite poem from the book:

We believe that spring is unhappy
every time it gets dark and cold.
That's why it stands out in the green

rain until late at night
and carefully lets birds out
of the winter.

The spring wants to know what it feels like
to be held onto. It is quite sure
how nice it must feel
finally

to be set free
so it doesn't ask about that.