Melodious sounds that children might hear as day turns into night in various places around the world are presented in this lyrical go-to-sleep book. Softly hued, gentle paintings depict a young child, thinking of children just like him in far-away places listening to the reassuring sounds that surround them before they drift off to dreamland.
Asleep approaches, children across the world listen to the noises of the night. Familiar with the sounds surrounding them, they can only imagine what other kids hear as they lie in their beds far, far away. One young boy, camping outside and listening to katydids, dreams about kids just like him, only different. He pictures Maria in Brazil hearing howling monkeys, Habib in Egypt listening to the shifting sand, Meli in Western Samoa hearing squeaking fruit bats….Such dreams take him through the night and “all the way to morning.” Glowing and evocative illustrations depict a journey around the world, capturing and celebrating the wonderful diversity of children everywhere.
About the Author:
For many years Marc Harshman taught fifth and sixth grades at the Sand Hill School, one of the last of the three-room country schools. Raised in Indiana, he has lived his adult life in West Virginia with his wife, Cheryl Ryan who is an artist, children’s author, and librarian. His daughter, Sarah Jayne, is pursuing graduate studies at The Pratt Institute. The author of three chapbooks of poetry, he is also a well-known writer of children’s picture books. His children’s titles have been published in Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Danish, and Swedish. The Storm was a Junior Library Guild selection, a Smithsonian Notable Book for Children, and a Parent’s Choice Award recipient. He has also received the WV Arts Commission Fellowship in Poetry and subsequently the Fellowship in Children’s Literature. He holds degrees from Bethany College, Yale University Divinity School, and the University of Pittsburgh.
Short prose works have won awards from Newport Review and Literal Latte. Anthology publication of poems include Kent State University, the University of Iowa, University of Georgia, and the University of Arizona. He has also served as an instructor for the historic Appalachian Writers Workshop at the Hindman Settlement School in Hindman, KY.
On May 18, 2012 Governor Earl Ray Tomblin announced that he has appointed Marc Harshman as the new Poet Laureate for West Virginia in recognition of his work in both poetry and children’s books.
About the illustrator:
FELIPE DAVALOS is an internationally acclaimed artist. Winner of the 2000 Pura Belpr Illustrator Honor Award, he has illustrated several books for children. His illustrations have also been published in leading magazines such as National Geographic and Scientific American, and in art history/archeology books focusing on pre-Columbian cultures. A native of Mexico, Davalos now lives with his family in Sacramento, California.
