Parents who are trying to help their children adjust to sleeping in the dark may want to share with them the Caldecott Medal-winning cumulative story The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson with pictures by Beth Krommes.
The child in the story is led through a nighttime routine that provides a sense of order and comfort. Along the way, the child encounters familiar objects, including a key, bed, book and light, which offer a reassuring sense of continuity.
Susan Marie Swanson is also a poet and the poetic cadence of the narrative makes this an ideal story to share with children at bedtime. Beth Krommes’ illustrations are beautiful black and white pictures accented with pops of golden yellow. The text and illustrations depict nighttime as a comforting and cheerful, rather than foreboding, time.
With its entertaining and gentle tone, The House in the Dark may ease children’s fears about sleeping in the dark.
Check the WRL catalog for The House in the Night.
