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At Night
A whimsical and soothing bedtime story
At night, all the animals return to their homes to sleep. Birds dream in their nests, polar bears snore inside their ice caves, and children snuggle under the covers of their beds. Everything is in order. Unless, of course, it isn’t. Sometimes the world — or the book — gets turned upside down. And then things aren’t quite as simple.With its sweet, winsome illustrations, this book is perfect for sharing with children as they drift off into their own imaginative dreams.
At night, all the animals return to their homes to sleep. Birds dream in their nests, polar bears snore inside their ice caves, and children snuggle under the covers of their beds. Everything is in order. Unless, of course, it isn’t. Sometimes the world — or the book — gets turned upside down. And then things aren’t quite as simple.With its sweet, winsome illustrations, this book is perfect for sharing with children as they drift off into their own imaginative dreams.
41 pages, Hardcover
Published September 2, 2016
1 person is currently reading
35 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
January 5, 2021
A fun, double-sided book about sleeping. Half of the book details the sleeping habits of various critters. The bat dangles from the cave roof, the bird sleeps in her nest . . .
BUT . . . flip the book over, and thinks get a little wonky.
I loved the author's sense of humor and her lovely, surreal artwork.
BUT . . . flip the book over, and thinks get a little wonky.
I loved the author's sense of humor and her lovely, surreal artwork.
October 30, 2016
A really pretty book with whimsical drawings of animals as they sleep at night. The illustrations are charming and the pages each also have little pictures and details that add extra interest for the perceptive reader and listener.
Originally published in Europe, the book has a delightful sense of intellectual depth rare in children's books. While a true bedtime story that is gentle in its art and story about different critters settling down for sleep, there is a touch of mischievousness in the artists' conception - a child peers in from the outside as cat purrs behind the warm stove and tiny mouse is in the corner snuggled up to a ball. Or when leopard dozes on a branch (with leopard coat hung up on a coat hanger and ear muffs on a branch) and three mice stroll along under the leopard knowing they are safe. And then, of course, the child, Manu, sleeps peacefully in his bed with his cuddle toys.
As you reach the middle of the book, you flip it and begin again because at night things are not always what they seem to be. There is a dream aura to this part of the book as well as the illustrations. A bit bizarre, jumbled, and changed around. This can be interpreted when being read to the child as a funny sleep-change or it can be an opportunity to let the child know that dreams are often a bit mixed up and odd. This way he understands that if he, himself, dreams it is o.k. if things are mixed up.
Throughout the book, the moon is pictured in various stages. I just love the illustrations and their whimsical charm.
I received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review of my honest opinions. I was not compensated.
Originally published in Europe, the book has a delightful sense of intellectual depth rare in children's books. While a true bedtime story that is gentle in its art and story about different critters settling down for sleep, there is a touch of mischievousness in the artists' conception - a child peers in from the outside as cat purrs behind the warm stove and tiny mouse is in the corner snuggled up to a ball. Or when leopard dozes on a branch (with leopard coat hung up on a coat hanger and ear muffs on a branch) and three mice stroll along under the leopard knowing they are safe. And then, of course, the child, Manu, sleeps peacefully in his bed with his cuddle toys.
As you reach the middle of the book, you flip it and begin again because at night things are not always what they seem to be. There is a dream aura to this part of the book as well as the illustrations. A bit bizarre, jumbled, and changed around. This can be interpreted when being read to the child as a funny sleep-change or it can be an opportunity to let the child know that dreams are often a bit mixed up and odd. This way he understands that if he, himself, dreams it is o.k. if things are mixed up.
Throughout the book, the moon is pictured in various stages. I just love the illustrations and their whimsical charm.
I received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review of my honest opinions. I was not compensated.
August 13, 2017
A small-hand-friendly book with equally charming animal characters and a flip-over/turn around format. On the forward, traditional pages, animals are presented in their expected sleeping spots with minimal text and whimsical illustrations. At the midpoint the book takes a pause (with a full eclipse!) so that readers will flip the book, reading forward again on pages that would otherwise be upside down. The enhanced cover title from that direction is "but at night sometimes...". In that amusing "sometime" presentation the previously explored animals are seen in a different creature's bedtime resting place. (elephant in the chimney-top bird's nest, dog dozing on a tree branch, etc.).
It's a fun twist on "all the animals got to sleep" book, sending little ones off to sleep with a smile.
It's a fun twist on "all the animals got to sleep" book, sending little ones off to sleep with a smile.
March 26, 2021
This one rubbed me the wrong way. I mean seriously, leopards are endangered but let's hang a leopard coat next to the sleeping leopard because the death of an entire species is 'cleverly amusing'?!?. There were many other examples where the illustrations irritated me, but that was the worst of them.
Plus, all of the characters where gender was indicated were male - UGH! This book was created well into the 21st Century, I thought we would be past that by now.
Nope, not for me. And, I won't be looking up any more work by this author.
Plus, all of the characters where gender was indicated were male - UGH! This book was created well into the 21st Century, I thought we would be past that by now.
Nope, not for me. And, I won't be looking up any more work by this author.
January 27, 2017
Soothing text with mixed media. This book feels European. It's nice! A little morbid humor with the leopard having a fur coat on a coat hanger on its branch, though!
Turning the book upside down doesn't exactly feel natural, though. It took me a minute to re-orientate myself to be ready to read the second half--... but At Night, sometimes. You have to start over again right from the "new" front of the book. I guess Are We There Yet? has left a lasting effect on me.
Turning the book upside down doesn't exactly feel natural, though. It took me a minute to re-orientate myself to be ready to read the second half--... but At Night, sometimes. You have to start over again right from the "new" front of the book. I guess Are We There Yet? has left a lasting effect on me.
March 9, 2018
I like the art in this one almost as much as I enjoyed Rosie the Raven. The book is organized in two parts. One half shows different animals at night. If you start from the back of the book, the title is ....But At Night Sometimes, and shows the same animals sleeping in very different places. It would be fun except that bats do not sleep in their caves at night! I know it's a picture book, but this misinformation drove me crazy!
April 29, 2020
"At Night" is a nice book for children to read, or have their parents read to them, before they go to sleep. The book is very peaceful with great illustrations of animals. Halfway through the bool, things change. Instead of showing things that happen at night, the book shows things that only happen sometimes at night. The illustrations are key to making this book great, along with its ability to show that the same thing will not happen every night.
March 7, 2023
As ilustrações não são boas para crianças. Os bichos são muito esquisitos. Acho difícil a criança entender a história, porque parece que metade do livro é sobre o sonho de uma menina, e o que há nesse sonho é uma mistura louca das coisas que ela viu durante o dia. Pelo menos, essa é minha interpretação. Portanto, não será fácil para uma criança fazer essa associação.
February 2, 2019
The format of the book - read in one orientation halfway through the book, and forced to flip and read the rest in the other orientation - is mirrored in the text of where and how animals sleep. Dreamy and intriguing.
June 26, 2017
Whimsical illustrations and simple text describe where a variety of animals usually sleep, and tells a dreamily different story when the book is flipped over.
June 27, 2017
Four stars for concept and illustrations that look like a mash-up between the Steads, Pamela Zagarenski, and Peter Sis--wacky, weird, but homey.
August 10, 2017
A silly little bedtime book, full of whimsy. Flip the book over for a different version of the story.
May 17, 2019
Beautiful artwork in Helga Bansch's little book that reminds us how night is about peaceful sleeping and about dreaming as well.
August 26, 2021
It was neat how the reader has to turn the book upside down and read from the opposite direction to continue through the story. I guess sometimes dreams do turn our reality upside down!
January 24, 2023
A diversidade de seres em seus diferentes lugares de aconchego. Esse livro desperta um sentimento de canção de ninar! Eu amei tanto as cores e as ilustrações... super fofo.
February 3, 2025
A cute story that you have to turn upside down to read the upside-down goofy story at the end. Very clever, and my kiddos enjoyed it.
May 14, 2025
Cute and silly. 2 year old liked it
June 30, 2024
A third 2023 favorite. The possibilities!
February 17, 2017
Lovely verse and fun concept, but I'm not personally a fan of books that "change direction".
June 20, 2016
The title on the book I have, an ARC from LibraryThing is At Night.
All are asleep in their proper places in this charming book by Helga Bansch.
Elephant in the grass, bird in the nest, cat by the stove...
But then mid book, the story turns upside down and everyone is sleeping in some one else's place. Elephant in the bird's nest, bird in the grass, dog dozing on a tree branch...
Illustrations are whimsical and delightful. There is something to look for on each page as my young granddaughter quickly pointed out. This is perfect bedtime read aloud for little ones.
All are asleep in their proper places in this charming book by Helga Bansch.
Elephant in the grass, bird in the nest, cat by the stove...
But then mid book, the story turns upside down and everyone is sleeping in some one else's place. Elephant in the bird's nest, bird in the grass, dog dozing on a tree branch...
Illustrations are whimsical and delightful. There is something to look for on each page as my young granddaughter quickly pointed out. This is perfect bedtime read aloud for little ones.
January 28, 2021
Soothing, rhythmic book about creatures asleep at night. There isn't much to the story except for fanciful descriptions of the creatures asleep. This book is adorable with the sleeping animals, some of whom are wrapped in blankets or wearing pajamas. The book has two sections. You read through it once from the front and then flip it over and read through the back to get the rest of the story. Just adorable bedtime story.
February 6, 2017
Interesting translation. Really enjoyed the map collage. Good for one-on-one sharing.
October 29, 2016
The first half of the book is very straightforward, with lovely and soothing illustrations and text about where different animals sleep.
And then you flip it over, and the kids get their first lesson in surrealism - in a cute and fun way. There will undoubtedly be lots of giggles and "noooo, that's not right!" exclamations.
And then you flip it over, and the kids get their first lesson in surrealism - in a cute and fun way. There will undoubtedly be lots of giggles and "noooo, that's not right!" exclamations.
October 11, 2016
A book that reads both forwards and backwards about where various animals sleep at night. The story is mixed up when you turn the book over and read the other direction as the animals all trade spots.
Mixed media artwork is lovely and dreamy. PreK-2.
Mixed media artwork is lovely and dreamy. PreK-2.
February 1, 2017
Everyone is snuggled into the spot where they like to sleep. In the center of the book is a (literal) twist. Everyone is now snuggled into someone else's spot and dreaming away the night (full/new moon).
September 27, 2016
The whole flipping the book over schtick works well here and is intuitive. Contrasting the ordinary with the silly is nice, too.
November 22, 2016
Cute, but not fantastic. There are some extra things that make it funny and fun.
November 23, 2016
Very neat format with two stories in one- great English-language translation from Vienna, Austria.
December 30, 2016
Every animal and a child are sleeping but turn the book upside down and see what happens.
February 7, 2017
Whimsical, imaginative, and surreal bedtime reading imported from Austria.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews