THE NIGHT TENT

Bedtime shenanigans take on a comforting tone in this tale of epic adventuring under the sheets.

As a jammies-footed, tan-skinned kid stares unblinking into the night, the narrator informs us, “Watson couldn’t sleep.” Fretting about the nasties and beasties that might lurk in the dark, he desperately wishes to be “anywhere else but here.” Only then does Watson notice the glow beneath his covers. Investigating more closely, he discovers an entire world. And whether he encounters pathways winding into mysterious woods or friendly monsters running a trolley, the text reads, “And since Watson wasn’t sleepy…” and on he goes. Soon it becomes clear to readers (if not Watson himself) that he is growing increasingly exhausted with each new discovery. The great triumph of the book, then, is not the final tower that Watson scales but the pillow that cushions his head when his adventures come to a close. Watson is like a 21st-century Little Nemo, his Slumberland just a duvet away. Dynamic pen-and-ink crosshatchings against a palette of deep navy blues and dusk-colored purples suffuse Watson’s story with an appropriately mellow bedtime feel, never becoming too dark or bleak. Tone is Blair’s strength, and kids will enjoy following Watson’s twisty paths with their fingers. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Nighttime fears begone! They prove no match for a vibrant imagination and the occasional cool monster.