On a Summer Night

Deborah Hopkinson author Kenard Pak illustrator

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Chronicle Books

Published:20th Jun '24

Should be back in stock very soon

On a Summer Night cover

Step into the quiet magic of this celebration of summer nighttime and the mystery of a world lit differently by the moon.

On a summer night, the world is still. Even the crickets think it’s too hot to sing. But all at once, a girl wakes. In the kitchen, the cat rolls onto its soft paws. A neighbor’s small white dog yaps, a brown rabbit peeks from a hedge, and the leaves of a cherry tree begin to stir in the breeze. Readers witness and wonder: Who has woken them all? In this soothing bedtime story, the quiet of a warm summer night is brought to vivid, magical life with the soft steps of bare feet, the padding of paws, and the bright, golden light of the moon. One by one, each creature is roused and then gently returned to sleep in a lovely and lyrical exploration of wakefulness, restfulness, and the mysterious calm of the night.

“Spare, rhythmic, luminous.” — Kirkus Reviews
“In the beguiling On a Summer Night, Deborah Hopkinson and Kenard Pak invite readers to experience the quiet, magical wonder of night during a hot, hushed summer month.” — Shelf Awareness
“It’s a luminous, intentionally paced work that captures a slow-moving encounter with the majestic dance of the natural world.”

Publishers Weekly,Starred Review


“Words and art harmoniously convey nighttime magic. A memorable celebration of nighttime activity and moonlit slumber.”

The Horn Book Magazine


“[T]his meditative bedtime story transports readers into a realm of ethereal tranquility reminiscent of comforting lullabies. Quietly and calmly, this will resonate long after the final page.” — Booklist


“Hopkinson taps into every sense to fully immerse the reader in this summer night…The digital illustrations are appropriately muted and static, anchoring the reader in each scene and encouraging quiet observation.” — The Bulletin for the Center of Children’s Books

ISBN: 9781797200132

Dimensions: 279mm x 229mm x 11mm

Weight: 249g

56 pages