NPM 2022 Day 8: The Night is Deep and Wide

Never let it be said that poetry is only for the old.  Here is a poetry board book that is absolutely stunning.

THE NIGHT IS DEEP AND WIDE is a board book written by Gillian Sze and illustrated by Sue Todd.  It is one continuous poem (an Italian Villanelle) that creates a lullaby with its repetition.  The illustrations are linoleum carvings with a limited color palette that are simply stunning.  Black and white dominate, but one other accent color is allowed on each page.

It was so incredibly hard to pick just one beautiful spread.  Each line of the poem just sings with simplicity about things slowly closing up and falling asleep.  Each picture is incredibly ornate when you know it was cut by hand.

In the end, I chose this spread to share as it shows some of the repeated lines, some of the limited color palette, and some of the sweet serenade that will undoubtedly help those youngest readers fall asleep:

And if you’re looking for more poetry fun this month, be sure to check out the Kidlitosphere Event Roundup!