The Night Is Deep and Wide

A small child collects tulips as night falls and changes in the child’s surroundings occur: animals cuddle together, tulips close, and her/his house settles. These quiet and close routines are mirrored in the child’s own bedtime routine within the house: reading a story with her/his parent, closing her/his eyes, and settling in bed.

Gillian Sze’s villanelle poem in The Night is Deep and Wide is the soft, sweet backdrop to the story. Sze’s poetry lulls its readers with gentle rhymes and calm, satisfying repetition. Her text makes no mention of the child but instead describes the quiet darkness of night and underscores the sleepy tone of the natural world as it readies for slumber.

Sue Todd’s illustrations introduce the character of the child into the story. This is a compelling addition and a possible point of connection to the story for young readers as they can see themselves reflected in the child’s experience. Visually, Todd’s illustrations, with her use of black-and-white linoleum carving, capture the duality and contrast of night and moonlight. Each page emphasizes one visual element of the story with the use of one colour in each illustration. Not only does this artistic choice focus readers’ attention on a specific detail, but it also supports the growing visual development of young infants. Todd weaves a small hint of magical realism into the otherwise very realistic domestic and natural scene as she anthropomorphizes the moon in one illustration. As parent and child read together within the house, the moon looks on affectionately.

To be honest, this book grew on me. My first initial reaction was apathetic. Not much seemed to happen, and the black-and-white illustrations didn’t immediately draw me in. However, this is precisely the point of the book: to settle one’s mind and body and to tuck into sleep. The more I read this book, the more nuances and details I found to like about it. Sze’s poetic description of nature’s slow unwind from day into night and Todd’s subdued colour palette of the illustrations do capture the quiet wonder of night and sleep. I enjoyed the interplay between the lines of poetry and the visual story, together related and co-creating, but also each one capable of standing alone and telling a separate tale.

Parents and caregivers are sure to use this board book over and over again during their child’s bedtime routine. It would make an ideal ‘welcome gift’ for the arrival of a new baby. Furthermore, early literacy librarians should also take note of The Night Is Deep and Wide for inclusion in their baby/toddler storytime programming at the public library.