Luminous: Living Things That Light Up the Night

PreS-Gr 1–A child and an adult, both with pale skin, dark hair, and dark eyes, explore luminous species found in the dark. This nonfiction picture book can easily be read with just the short, poetic primary text that invites readers to use their imaginations about what it might be like to make their own light. More curious readers can dive deeper into the short sidebars that detail the type of bioluminescence being described and shown in the illustrations. Kuo presents information that will intrigue children and make them feel they have learned something new without feeling as though they are being taught. The book briefly mentions light pollution and manufactured light. The illustrations lend themselves to a feeling of dreaminess or being in space. The varying shades of blue, white, yellow, and orange against a black background immediately evoke the glow of bioluminescence.