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Picture Book Review – All Through the Night
ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT:
Important Jobs That Get Done At Night
Written by Polly Faber
Illustrated by Harriet Hobday
(Candlewick Press; $17.99; Ages 2-5)
As a little girl is getting ready for bed in All Through the Night, her mother is getting ready for work. “She’s got an important job to do,” the girl says and introduces readers to nighttime workers all over the city. From office cleaners, food deliverers, doctors, police officers, news reporters, and musicians, everyone works diligently to support and serve their community, keeping it safe and ready for everyone in the morning.
Beautiful illustrations in jewel-toned colors light up the night and reveal a vibrant urban setting bustling with life. Adult and child readers alike will be captivated by Harriet Hobday’s many visual details— inside offices, shops, apartment buildings, and on the street (be sure to spot those nocturnal animals!).
Accompanying the visual excitement is a tone of kindness and appreciation that weaves throughout the text. As we meet each nighttime worker, we’re introduced to their individual name and learn how their specific work benefits the well-being of others, including other nighttime workers. Luigi depends on Ravi’s deliveries to bake fresh pastries for his morning customers. Ravi himself relies on Eva’s 24-hour gas station.
This interconnected reality becomes all the more personal as we circle back to the little girl’s mom who we discover is a bus driver, getting “everybody just where they need to be.” Children will love following Mom “with her big orange bus” on every spread.
Written by Polly Faber and illustrated by Harriet Hobday, All Through the Night is a perfect read for both the home and classroom. A gentle, reassuring bedtime story, the book also provides opportunities to learn all about The Important Jobs That Get Done At Night.
- Reviewed by Armineh Manookian
Click here to download a Teacher’s Guide
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Sounds great. Thanks for turning me on to this book!
A pleasure. It’s a timeless story that sheds light on those important after dark jobs that often go overlooked.
The title caught my eye, as it is the name of a hymn I used to sing to my youngest son many long years ago! As for this book, the concept is fabulous and completely fascinating! The illustrations are beautiful. This sounds like a book that would be great fun to read to and with a child, and we adults will learn a lot by doing so!
I would have loved this to share when my grown children were little. They used to love another book I think was called Wake Up, City and this has the same tone. It’s great to shower appreciation on those with night jobs!