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Dusk Explorers
Summer evenings are magical—the perfect time to roam and play outside. The setting sun provides the backdrop for games like leapfrog or hide-and-seek. Moments are spent swapping secrets or catching fireflies.
Neighborhood kids claim the dusk as their own.
Neighborhood kids claim the dusk as their own.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2020
160 people want to read
About the author
Lindsay Leslie
7 books44 followersA diary keeper, a journalism major, a public relations executive, now a children’s author—Lindsay Leslie has always operated in a world of written words. She likes to bring her unique outlook on life, quirky humor, and play with words to the page in picture books. Lindsay is the award-winning author of GUS HEARTS THE BUS, SO YOU WANT TO BUILD A LIBRARY, DUSK EXPLORERS (an SCBWI Crystal Kite Award winner, Kirkus starred review, Bank Street Best Book of 2021 with Outstanding Merit, and Amazon Editors’ Pick), NOVA THE STAR EATER, and THIS BOOK IS SPINELESS (Booklist starred review). Lindsay lives in Austin, Texas, with her sci-fi/horror novelist husband, Ryan Leslie, two kiddos, and two fur-beasts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
July 23, 2020
I think this is a quite idealized and nostalgic book...this is the sort of atmosphere I would love for my children to grow up in but I think very few people are able to live in such places.
Also, even where such places exist, sometimes others in the neighborhood report caregivers for allowing their charges to play unsupervised (I think that's ridiculous and hopefully it doesn't happen very often, as unsupervised play can help develop independence, interpersonal skills, better conflict resolution, etc.).
But, the above aside, this is a very cute book about all the fun activities you can do in the dusk while living in a suburban/almost rural area....maybe in a small town would be the best description.
Also, even where such places exist, sometimes others in the neighborhood report caregivers for allowing their charges to play unsupervised (I think that's ridiculous and hopefully it doesn't happen very often, as unsupervised play can help develop independence, interpersonal skills, better conflict resolution, etc.).
But, the above aside, this is a very cute book about all the fun activities you can do in the dusk while living in a suburban/almost rural area....maybe in a small town would be the best description.
November 10, 2020
This ode to the magic of summer evenings whisked me back to my childhood neighborhood. Dusk explorers climb trees, play hide-and-seek, tell secrets, and catch frogs and fireflies beneath the sinking sun and glowing street lamps. The lyrical language and gorgeous illustrations evoke pleasant kid-relatable feelings for young readers as well as powerful memories of childhood for adults. DUSK EXPLORERS is one of those picture books that stays with you long after you close the cover.
May 24, 2020
DUSK EXPLORERS has the tag line; "Come! Run free outdoors and steal away into the night."
The cover (front and back) echoes that invitation by evoking the magic of summer twilight gatherings. It is a book that is both timeless and timely, since the outdoors beckons and kids are craving unbridled excitement with friends. The characters pictured are diverse in age, gender, and ethnicity, romping into the pale sunset dusk with an enthusiasm we can all recall. Sadly, we are also missing such abandon with more than the melancholy of nostalgia. (Covid19 reference)
The neighborhood and surrounding wildlife portrayed in this story appear safely middle class. Although that's not the reality for many children, kids make their outdoor fun where they find themselves. That may be in a park or playground, in the neighborhood of friends and loved ones, or during a camp experience.
The various scenes reveal that the magic hour offers fun in any setting, including active play, ground level observations (watching for night crawlers to emerge!), seeking and finding other creatures who become active in the evening hours, and savoring secrets in quiet spaces.
With the eventual purple haze of night's arrival, houselights and streetlights click on, fireflies blink their coded messages, and kids realize that they will soon be drawn back indoors by that inevitable call from a porch or stoop:
"...their parents' the-sun-is-gone yell: TIME TO COME HOME."
This is a prime example of Leslie's engaging language, sprinkling an array of dusk exploration with active verbs and charming challenges while the images shift from colorfully detailed to silhouettes, from sunset tones to deepening night.
(Another Covid19 reference coming)
By now, kids are aware of the dramatic importance of physical distancing, so this book can be a helpful tool for prepping those dusk explorations. The pages depicting flashlights and toads and frogs call to mind my recent post about AMPHIBIAN ACROBATS. Sure, it would be fun to pursue such fun untethered, but the images do a fine job of showing older siblings as responsible participants. Voices carry in the outdoors, so frog-spotting, tree-climbing, star-gazing, and other distant-but-together games can be brainstormed and rehearsed before going out with a few known friends, neighbors, or cousins.
Ideas for adaptations can be brainstormed as a challenge rather than chains. Just a few might include porch-to-porch sleep-outs (with throwback string/can secrets?), tag with pool noodles, foam-ball toss-tag, mother-may-I toward a target line rather than to touch each other, and catching lightning bugs in territorial patches with just as many squeals as during random roaming.
Other outdoor adaptations for healthy kid-play can be found online, with the usual caution to consider the source. HealthyChildren.org offers rationale and suggested romps, childmind.org points out the mental health benefits of outdoor activities (with many other great mental health maintenance tips), and none other than NationalGeographic.com provides a wealth of ideas for safe outdoor activities.
So, get your hands on DUSK EXPLORERS as a way to preview and plan a summer full of healthy outdoor engagement. While you're at it, use this wonderful book to share memories of your own childhood adventures and explorations.
Exaggeration and tall tales are officially approved.
The cover (front and back) echoes that invitation by evoking the magic of summer twilight gatherings. It is a book that is both timeless and timely, since the outdoors beckons and kids are craving unbridled excitement with friends. The characters pictured are diverse in age, gender, and ethnicity, romping into the pale sunset dusk with an enthusiasm we can all recall. Sadly, we are also missing such abandon with more than the melancholy of nostalgia. (Covid19 reference)
The neighborhood and surrounding wildlife portrayed in this story appear safely middle class. Although that's not the reality for many children, kids make their outdoor fun where they find themselves. That may be in a park or playground, in the neighborhood of friends and loved ones, or during a camp experience.
The various scenes reveal that the magic hour offers fun in any setting, including active play, ground level observations (watching for night crawlers to emerge!), seeking and finding other creatures who become active in the evening hours, and savoring secrets in quiet spaces.
With the eventual purple haze of night's arrival, houselights and streetlights click on, fireflies blink their coded messages, and kids realize that they will soon be drawn back indoors by that inevitable call from a porch or stoop:
"...their parents' the-sun-is-gone yell: TIME TO COME HOME."
This is a prime example of Leslie's engaging language, sprinkling an array of dusk exploration with active verbs and charming challenges while the images shift from colorfully detailed to silhouettes, from sunset tones to deepening night.
(Another Covid19 reference coming)
By now, kids are aware of the dramatic importance of physical distancing, so this book can be a helpful tool for prepping those dusk explorations. The pages depicting flashlights and toads and frogs call to mind my recent post about AMPHIBIAN ACROBATS. Sure, it would be fun to pursue such fun untethered, but the images do a fine job of showing older siblings as responsible participants. Voices carry in the outdoors, so frog-spotting, tree-climbing, star-gazing, and other distant-but-together games can be brainstormed and rehearsed before going out with a few known friends, neighbors, or cousins.
Ideas for adaptations can be brainstormed as a challenge rather than chains. Just a few might include porch-to-porch sleep-outs (with throwback string/can secrets?), tag with pool noodles, foam-ball toss-tag, mother-may-I toward a target line rather than to touch each other, and catching lightning bugs in territorial patches with just as many squeals as during random roaming.
Other outdoor adaptations for healthy kid-play can be found online, with the usual caution to consider the source. HealthyChildren.org offers rationale and suggested romps, childmind.org points out the mental health benefits of outdoor activities (with many other great mental health maintenance tips), and none other than NationalGeographic.com provides a wealth of ideas for safe outdoor activities.
So, get your hands on DUSK EXPLORERS as a way to preview and plan a summer full of healthy outdoor engagement. While you're at it, use this wonderful book to share memories of your own childhood adventures and explorations.
Exaggeration and tall tales are officially approved.
June 2, 2020
With lovely words and beautiful illustrations, Dusk Explorers evokes the summers of my youth, spent catching fireflies, playing with neighborhood friends-- until we were called inside by our parents. This book reminds me of what I want my kids to be doing this summer, playing (unfortunately apart from friends until it's safe...) and feeling the joys of summer!
September 25, 2020
Dusk Explorers celebrates all the ways---playing hide-and-seek, climbing trees, playing tag, playing leapfrog, looking for worms, capturing fireflies, catching toads, playing kick-the-can---children can play together as dusk settles over their world and day makes way for night.
May 19, 2020
A lovely celebration of a long summer eve. Text and art merge to create the magic of twilight. Leslie's sharp eye for the fine details of each game bring to life each activity - the roughness of tree bark, the feeling of being tucked up to hide, breathlessness as you call "Time out" - and Rooney's art captures the kinetic energy of that time of day/year/life, the happiest of all protests against the fading light.
July 12, 2023
Pretty pictures and fun rhymes about the evening.
October 8, 2020
This is an absolutely lovely book about a simple topic - exploring the outdoors on a summer evening - but elevated by enchanting lyrical language and stunning illustrations. The combination of the two captures those sweet moments - of tag, hide-and-seek, firefly-catching, and natural world discoveries - that make summer evenings so enchanting. The book serves at once as a reminiscence for parents and an open invitation to child readers to experience the magic of dusk. Gorgeous!
July 17, 2020
Head outside into the early summer evening in this picture book. Play in the trees and see who can climb highest. Enjoy leapfrogging, kick the can, and running while playing tag. Take the time though to feel the bark, watch the leaves, discover worms, and hunt for frogs. Find a quiet curb to share some secrets before a game of hide and seek. As night continues to fall, the fireflies emerge. Soon parents are calling for children to head home and the neighborhood gets quiet until the children emerge again into the darkness as the moon rises.
Leslie cleverly shows the joys of being outside as darkness comes by weaving together plenty of games and activities with quieter moments of discovery. The resulting laughter combines with feeling safe and able to be on your own in the dark. Many of the games and activities are unique to just this time of day like the firefly catching and kick the can while others can be enjoyed at any time of day.
The illustrations by Rooney are done in vibrant mixed media with paint, collage and digital elements. They are filled with diverse children, all playing with one another. They also capture the changing light and colors of the sky beautifully as dusk and evening emerge.
Just right for summer afternoons so that children can experience their own dusk that night. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
Leslie cleverly shows the joys of being outside as darkness comes by weaving together plenty of games and activities with quieter moments of discovery. The resulting laughter combines with feeling safe and able to be on your own in the dark. Many of the games and activities are unique to just this time of day like the firefly catching and kick the can while others can be enjoyed at any time of day.
The illustrations by Rooney are done in vibrant mixed media with paint, collage and digital elements. They are filled with diverse children, all playing with one another. They also capture the changing light and colors of the sky beautifully as dusk and evening emerge.
Just right for summer afternoons so that children can experience their own dusk that night. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
June 30, 2025
Reading Dusk Explorers felt like opening a time capsule of childhood, when the day softened, the sky glowed, and the neighborhood became a playground of imagination. This beautiful picture book celebrates the golden hour of dusk and all the little adventures kids have in that magical sliver of time: catching fireflies, racing bikes, playing hide-and-seek, and just being outside.
What I loved most? It brought me straight back to my own childhood evenings, the freedom, the fun, the feeling of time slowing down. The nostalgia is real.
As a parent, the irony hits a little hard: my kids don’t really get to live that same experience. Living in an apartment, those spontaneous dusk adventures aren’t part of their everyday. But reading this book together became a chance to share stories, laugh, and dream about what dusk could look like if we had just a little more open sky.
The illustrations are vibrant and dreamy, perfectly capturing that in-between time when everything feels just a little more magical.
What I loved most? It brought me straight back to my own childhood evenings, the freedom, the fun, the feeling of time slowing down. The nostalgia is real.
As a parent, the irony hits a little hard: my kids don’t really get to live that same experience. Living in an apartment, those spontaneous dusk adventures aren’t part of their everyday. But reading this book together became a chance to share stories, laugh, and dream about what dusk could look like if we had just a little more open sky.
The illustrations are vibrant and dreamy, perfectly capturing that in-between time when everything feels just a little more magical.
May 4, 2020
Dusk Explorers is a remembrance, a wish and an invitation all rolled into one! This is the innocence and the adventure of childhood set at the time of day when the world is set alight with beauty and mystery.
Leslie's poetic text is paired perfectly with Rooney's colorful and eclectic works of art. While the text takes the reader through the evening of fun and discovery, each page begs for a pause - to look, to listen, to absorb the mood that the author so elegantly unfolds.
Leslie's play with words speaks to the child and to her skill in evoking sensory details that even those children who have minimal experience with nature-immersion can imagine and relate to - "the roughness of bark", the "itchy blades of freshly cut grass" and "the dimming sky sprinkled with diamonds" - so lovely.
Dusk Explorers of all ages will enjoy reading this time and again, before or after an evening of outdoor discovery. What a treasure!
Leslie's poetic text is paired perfectly with Rooney's colorful and eclectic works of art. While the text takes the reader through the evening of fun and discovery, each page begs for a pause - to look, to listen, to absorb the mood that the author so elegantly unfolds.
Leslie's play with words speaks to the child and to her skill in evoking sensory details that even those children who have minimal experience with nature-immersion can imagine and relate to - "the roughness of bark", the "itchy blades of freshly cut grass" and "the dimming sky sprinkled with diamonds" - so lovely.
Dusk Explorers of all ages will enjoy reading this time and again, before or after an evening of outdoor discovery. What a treasure!
May 20, 2021
This one was good but not as good as I wanted it to be. I think the frame of it as a "calling all..." and then a list of different alliterative types of kids didn't work as well as what I thought it would be, which was something that more evokes the feeling of exploration and wonder being out at night has when you're a kid. But it was still a worthwhile read, diverse representation, fun energy, and a bit of a throwback to days gone by - do kids still get to go out and be Dusk Explorers? My almost 4 year old enjoyed some of the pictures, especially one of the kids playing hide and seek where she could point them all out, but otherwise was not enamoured of it.
October 15, 2022
The illustrations are just so full of love and giving off the vibes of a childhood summer that I find myself full of yearning for years Lost. I’m not entirely sure if many kids can relate to the playing here, but this book has such a string shutter it could convince anyone to get out on a summer night and play!
I wasn’t the biggest fan of the text- I felt like at times it was overly wordy, but ultimately, you could try the author was playful and having lots of fun.
All in all a great book for the start of summer!
I wasn’t the biggest fan of the text- I felt like at times it was overly wordy, but ultimately, you could try the author was playful and having lots of fun.
All in all a great book for the start of summer!
November 28, 2022
Absolutely ADORED this story!
Our neighborhood feels just like this one- games of tag, searching for bugs and worms, scootering and biking! My children delighted in seeing all the fun of "dusk exploring" and added many more activities to the fun they want to have with their friends.
Beautiful, unique illustrations with diverse characters makes this a big HIT!
"Come! Run free outdoors. Steal away into the night."
This story will be a delight to all children, and is a special reminder of all the joy that comes from just exploring outdoors with friends.
Our neighborhood feels just like this one- games of tag, searching for bugs and worms, scootering and biking! My children delighted in seeing all the fun of "dusk exploring" and added many more activities to the fun they want to have with their friends.
Beautiful, unique illustrations with diverse characters makes this a big HIT!
"Come! Run free outdoors. Steal away into the night."
This story will be a delight to all children, and is a special reminder of all the joy that comes from just exploring outdoors with friends.
March 2, 2025
"Dusk Explorers" is a great book to read to reminisce about the summers of your childhood as it follows the community of kinds interacting with the outdoors from sunset to dusk. It reels readers back into nostalgia by naming classic kid activities and games as they reconnect with nature.
This would be a nice book to add in my future classroom to use as a calming transition book or to use with students as a class read-aloud close to the summer time to bring about discussion on their favorite summer activities.
This would be a nice book to add in my future classroom to use as a calming transition book or to use with students as a class read-aloud close to the summer time to bring about discussion on their favorite summer activities.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 7, 2020
If I could run through the streets at dusk, I'd scream about my love for this book. The text feels nostalgic - Lindsay Leslie captures the childhood neighborhood play experience perfectly. The illustrations are nothing short of delicious. The colors capture that magical time of the evening so well that kids will want to jump in the pages and play. This book is the perfect birthday gift for a neighborhood friend, or a great choice for any child (or adult) who loves to explore.
May 10, 2020
A lush story on how to engage with nature, explore, and play. Lyrical language takes us through the countless opportunities to really observe and enjoy our natural surroundings. It's like a hitlist of childhood's best memories. Ellen Rooney's dreamy illustrations are the perfect pairing for Lindsay Leslie's equally dreamy writing. I can't imagine any child who wouldn't want to try out all of the outdoor activities the Dusk Explorers upon reading even just the first pages of this book.
May 13, 2020
This beautiful book invites children (and parents) to enjoy playing in the outdoors on a summer evening.
The story winds through the neighborhood streets, with lyrical, descriptive language encouraging you to head out for bike riding, tree climbing, playing, and wonderful exploring.
Read this book after dinner, and your children will be asking to go out to play rather than to watch a TV show.
My Junior Reviewer (3.5) asked to read it twice in a row. 5 stars from her as well.
The story winds through the neighborhood streets, with lyrical, descriptive language encouraging you to head out for bike riding, tree climbing, playing, and wonderful exploring.
Read this book after dinner, and your children will be asking to go out to play rather than to watch a TV show.
My Junior Reviewer (3.5) asked to read it twice in a row. 5 stars from her as well.
May 27, 2020
A neighborhood comes to life in the evening with simple games and friends playing. Obviously you can’t run around your block with friends right now, but you can get outside and enjoy the timeless play ideas in this book. The text is fun to read aloud and the beautiful illustrations glow with the warmth of evening light. This reminded me of my childhood and will hopefully spark some new ideas for your kids.
June 3, 2020
AWW! As someone who hates the heat and prefers playing outside in the summer when the sun has already gone down, this book was just awesome. I think the true highlight was all the "kiddish" details the story managed to capture and catalog (games the kids play outside, kids calling "time-out" in tag right before they're caught, making up hilarious names for animals they find, tree climbing). I love books that encourage outdoor fun!
September 3, 2020
This book celebrates the type of childhood I had in the 1980s - play outside until the streetlights go out, collect fireflies (that page is particularly striking with gorgeous light dot illustrations), scooter and play kick the can with your friends.
Sadly, I don't think too many children (including my own) have this kind of experience anymore. :(
As a result, this book will resonate more with an adult audience.
Illustrations have an Eric Carle - y vibe.
Sadly, I don't think too many children (including my own) have this kind of experience anymore. :(
As a result, this book will resonate more with an adult audience.
Illustrations have an Eric Carle - y vibe.
September 27, 2020
Beautiful illustrations that capture the magical glow of dusk, combine with lyrical text to capture the magic of childhood. We loved the light and shadows in the illustrations, and the fireflies spread is gorgeous! We loved the anticipation of being found during hide-and-seek and ignoring parent "time to come home" calls. This book is a wonderful ode to childhood and making use of every second of the day as it rolls into night.
September 16, 2021
I think sending books like this to today's youth is dangerous. This was what all of us adults grew up with but that was 30-50 years ago. Where is it safe in America today to send our kids out at dusk? Sorry but while the story strikes a chord for those of us who remember what it was like to play flashlight tag and kick the can with our buddies in the neighborhood those days are gone. Sad but true.
November 13, 2021
Beautiful illustrations help tell the story of neighborhood kids who, as in times gone by, play in the streets until their parents call them in. I found it fascinating that the illustrator depicted a typical, middle-America neighborhood that most likely has a couple houses with run down cars in the front yard and unkempt landscaping. Most children see that on their own streets.
Recommended for storytime; especially during the summer.
Recommended for storytime; especially during the summer.
October 26, 2022
This BEAUTIFUL book captures special moments perfectly! Reading it, I'm brought back to my childhood and the magic of summer evenings, playing and exploring the outside world. The descriptive words are fabulous and the illustrations are some of my favorites from the picture book genre. I know this book will inspire children to get out in the fresh air evenings with friends and find joy in simple pleasures!
May 11, 2020
I love the idea of encouraging kids to be outdoors more, and this book shows that early evening to twilight time at its most magical! The illustrations are lovely and have a very tactile look and feature lots of diverse kids. If you're looking for a book to encourage your kids to explore the world around them, this is a great pick.
May 12, 2020
With gorgeous language and stunning illustrations, this gem of a picture book perfectly captures the magic of childhood summertime. Lyrical and lively phrasing invite readers to join the characters in the book and participate in the fun. Not only is this a great read-aloud, but it will also inspire kids to go out and create their own neighborhood outdoor adventures.
May 19, 2020
Stunning collage illustrations bring this playful and lyrical text to life. The book pays homage to that magical time right before, during, and after a summer sunset, and the colors get more and vivid on each spread as the sun sinks lower and lower. I'd love to frame that beautiful spread with the fireflies!
June 9, 2020
This book is straight from the summertime heart of my childhood. It captures perfectly that magical time between sunset and sundown. The sweetest time of the day. I hope any child who hasn't experienced these kind of slow and simple, yet enchanting moments will be inspired to do so after reading this gorgeous book.
June 26, 2020
Lyrical language celebrating that special time before sunset when anything is possible: street games, toad hunts, tree climbing... adventures abound at dusk. Gorgeous illustrations illuminate the possibilities by contrasting the light and shadows of street lamps, hiding spots, and fireflies. A new summer classic!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews