Night Song
Mk Smith Despres author Hyewon Yum illustrator
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Enchanted Lion Books
Published:22nd Feb '24
Currently unavailable, our supplier has not provided us a restock date
• Social media campaign
• Dedicated newsletter to 10K subscribers
• IG live conversation with Mk & Hyewon
• Bookstore launches in western Massachusetts and New York
• Wide circulation of advance copies to trade and consumer media and indie bookstores
• School visits
• Printing in Italy: the paper, binding, ink, and color quality will be exceptional.
A sad sack frog, who bemoans his inability to sing like a bird, discovers the vital role he's meant to play in his woodland home in this debut picture book from Mk Smith Despres, gorgeously illustrated by award-winning artist Hyewon Yum.
Every morning as the sun rises, Bernardo the frog loves greeting the day by listening to the beautiful birdsong that fills the woods with joy. Inspired, Bernardo attempts to sing, too... but his croaking voice doesn't quite have the same effect. No matter what he does, Bernardo feels graceless and like he just doesn't add up. Dejected and down in the dumps, Bernardo sees no place for himself, until a woodland neighbor praises the hushed sounds that dusk brings, thus awakening Bernardo to his place in the woods' great symphony.
A Children's Book Council January 2023 Hot Off the Press selection!
"Hyewon Yum’s illustrations bring vibrancy to Night Song, a picture book for children ages 4-8 written with gentle humor by Mk Smith Despres… With its inventive text and appealing pictures, this is a special book.“ —Wall Street Journal
"Using a mix of watercolor, colored pencil, and ink, Yum illustrates Despres’ lilting, sonorous text with idyllic scenes of songbirds and waterfowl, butterflies and dragonflies, amid verdant tufts of greenery and sprays of flowers. As the day passes and the tonal palette dims subtly from bright day to a cool blue star-flecked night, one last view leaves the small frog with eyes closed in blissful appreciation. Poetic and peaceful: a natural for bedtime reading." —Kirkus
"Debut author Despres's lyrical text captures the tenor and distinct rhythm of morning and night. Yum’s atmospheric colored pencil, watercolor, and ink cartoon illustrations provide stunning views of the sunrise and sunset. This is a harmonious picture book about embracing your own voice." —Booklist
"In this lyrically told be-yourself story, a frog named Bernardo longs to join the birds whose dawn song inspires the sun... The frog’s perspective doesn’t shift until a small friend reminds Bernardo of the role he plays in another musical drama: the dusk song that puts the woods to sleep. Assured lines by debut creator Smith Despres convey the wonder of change brought by the day’s rhythms, while limpid colored pencil, watercolor, and ink spreads by Yum deliver giggles and render subtly changing light and color in this hymn to contemplating one’s place in the world."—Publishers Weekly
"Colored pencils are layered over watercolors in intricate illustrations that evoke the chill of misty mornings, the golden light of afternoons, and the gentle hush of twilight in this picture book about self-acceptance and belonging." —Foreword Reviews
ISBN: 9781592703944
Dimensions: 274mm x 220mm x 15mm
Weight: 462g
52 pages