ONE SCARY NIGHT

In this wordless black-and-white picture book, a bundled-up boy walks through the woods one winter night. In boldly graphic artwork that evokes the crisp precision of cut-paper collage, ink-black skies contrast sharply with white snowy landscapes—the boy is a black silhouette against the snow, or white against the black sky, depending on the page. Eyes watch him from a distance. A wolf follows him from afar. Snow begins to fall and the boy starts to run. On one page, the wolf snarls, the next reveals the boy’s frightened dot-eyes, and on the next, the wolf springs! In a surprise twist, the animal does not attack the boy, instead pushing him just beyond the reach of a giant falling tree, a tree that would have otherwise crushed him. A grateful hug ensues. (Kids, don’t try this at home!) Guilloppé creates real suspense with spare graphics, dramatic pacing and ominous perspectives, offering abundant opportunities for creative storytelling in this innovative, visually arresting tale of one truly scary, but happy-ending night. (Picture book. 4-8)