Night Shadows

by Barbara DaCosta, Ed Young (Illustrator)

The third collaboration between Young and DaCosta (Nighttime Ninja and Mighty Moby) tells the story of a lonely girl who finds an unlikely friend in her elderly neighbor.Each night kids have been creeping around and spray painting houses in Tasha's neighborhood. Two days in a row, her neighbor Mrs. Lucy awakes to find graffiti outside her home. Tasha helps her paint over it. They discover that they are alike, except for their age, and become inseparable. But who keeps defacing Mrs. Lucy's house? Ed Young's inimitable cut-out art sensitively conveys the characters' emotions and the drama of the as the truth is discovered, the houses become multicolored, but the characters remain faceless. Then when the miscreants are revealed, Tasha's and Mrs. Lucy's faces become visible. A subtle expression of recognition on both.....This nuanced story shows young readers that honesty and respect are the most important elements for friendship. With Night Shadows Caldecott Medal-winner Ed Young's oneiric illustrations and Barbara DaCosta's introspective narrative jointly reproduce the intensity with which a child experiences solitude and companionship.

Genres: Picture Books, Fiction, Friendship, Childrens, Womens

32 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 9, 2021

About the author

From lighthearted children's books to adult mysteries, award-winning author Barbara DaCosta enjoys looking at the odd, quirky things in life. DaCosta's newest book is NIGHT SHADOWS, the touching story of an intergenerational friendship, DaCosta's third collaboration with Caldecott Medalist Ed Young. Their previous work includes Mighty Moby (a Minnesota Book Awards finalist) and bestseller Nighttime Ninja, , winner of the Children's Choice Award.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 2 out of 5]

This little story was frustrating. The story happens at night in the shadows and so the artwork is mostly black with spots of light here and there. They keep it a mystery. I don't think it works.

An old lady keeps finding a group of boys painting her garage door in the ally and she has to paint over it. We never really see anything. What is the graffiti? We don't see much of anything but shadows. It made me as a reader frustrated. I wanted to see what was going on. The old woman paints the door in the daylight, so we should be able to see it, but everything is abstract and shaded still. That makes no sense to me.

Somehow, the theme seems to be about loneliness and spending time together and the plot is alright, but the whole falls short for me.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mrs. Lucy's garage keeps getting spray painted in the night. Tasha isn't welcome to play with the older boys, so when she sees Mrs. Lucy painting over the graffiti, she offers to help. They become friendly and when the garage continues to get painted each night, Tasha's help is even more welcome. When Mrs. Lucy decides once and for all to find the culprit, she gets a surprise.
I wish Mrs. Lucy and Tasha's relationship was shown more. The front flap says, "They discover that they are alike, except for their age, and become inseparable," but I didn't see evidence in the text of that at all. Disappointing.

[Barbara DaCosta · Rating 5 out of 5]

“In Barbara DaCosta’s story, friendship and forgiveness emerge from the shadows to shine as warmly as Ed Young’s art. I found myself deeply touched by this tender, honest story, and mesmerized by the jaggedly beautiful, moody illustrations. This book is a gift for anyone, child or adult, who has ever needed a true friend in a rough world.”

– Elisa Kleven, author of The Lion and the Little Red Bird

“Nocturnal shadows are what fall on an old woman’s garage wall as kids repeatedly spray it with graffiti. On the first evening, Mrs. Lucy’s body also casts an imposing shadow in her doorway’s yellow light as the children escape into the blue darkness. The dramatic, diagonal figure recalls Young’s rendering of the mother catching her son in DaCosta’s Nighttime Ninja (2012). The next day, a group of boys—silhouetted as a unit—exiles a younger sister as they prepare to play baseball. Tasha encounters Mrs. Lucy painting over the words (which readers never see). The girl offers to help on this day and the next, milk and cookies are her compensation. Skin tone is created with brown paper. The woman’s sumptuous robe is fashioned from crinkled gold paper, overlaid with soft blue and lacy green fibers; the girl’s shirt is a marbleized magenta and blue pattern. On the third night, the victim hides in the lilac bushes and is shocked that this time the sole vandal is Tasha. Her plaintive explanation: “I just—I just wanted to come over again.” Speechless, the woman allows compassion to prevail, promising they have a lot of work to do—together. The rich, restrained text and visually exciting collages build suspense and surprise in tandem. Readers will turn back, now detecting subtle clues... Conversations about motivations and actions will abound as children absorb the impact of grace.”

– Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

[Rachel Grover · Rating 1 out of 5]

I appreciated the concept but it needed an editing eye. Left with general confusion and the overall message was muddled. This could have been a great mystery picture book - which is hardly published - but instead I'm left with the feeling of general missed opportunity. Not impressed.

[Ron Turner · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the idea but it's incredibly wordy for a picture book.

[Riley]

Interesting premise but I found the artwork to be abstracted to a point that it was confusing at times

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story is thin and illustrations are confusing. Not recommended.

2.5 stars

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A friendship between an older woman and a child develops after the child helps to cover up graffitti on the women's garage every day. Elementary. Pictures look like they were designed from paper.