ALL EARS, ALL EYES

This quiet book explores what happens in a forest as day slips into night.

Under a full moon, the landscape glows, exposing various night creatures and their activities. The air above resounds with the hooting of owls and the whirring of bats. On the ground, other creatures stir. A porcupine “scoots between roots.” Others prowl through the shadows, such as a fox, a deer, and mice. Others make no sounds at all, like the fireflies that fill the night with glowing lights. Jackson’s sparse but sensory text entices readers’ imaginations while sparking their curiosity. Its rich onomatopoeia adds to the story’s enjoyment, while its quiet pace creates a soothing bedtime story for young readers. Tillotson’s mottled illustrations that sneakily play with positive and negative space complement the text. Digitally worked watercolors hold on to the fading light, shapes morphing from page to page so that leaves become eyes; translucent print in varying typefaces and fonts floats on the page, in motion with the forest creatures. Readers will relish finding the veiled creatures in the darkening woods—both those that are mentioned on the pages and those that are not. In addition to fostering observational skills in young children, this book could also tie in well with primary grade environmental curricula.

Dazzling.