Night Song

Gr 1-2–Despres’s and Yum’s book opens in the moments after night, as the sun—launched by the songs of the early morning bluebird, nuthatch, and chickadee—does its work to dispel the dark and set up the flora and fauna for a bright new day. Bernardo the frog loves this process, observing the sun’s climb, which dries the damp stones in the grass, unfolds the flowers, and warms the inhabitants of the pond, who join in the song. Bernardo wants to sing along but knows that his sound will not fit in with the day. All day long, Bernardo attempts different feats—flower-hopping, branch-hanging—to feel whole and as if the tiny frog is in tune with the rest of the universe. Only as more nocturnal birds and other creatures gather in the twilight does Bernardo understand his role and enthusiastically take it on. Yum’s sweet watercolors render a serene pond setting, with all the life emerging for the day, balanced by the tranquility of night. The scenes are an ideal marriage of story and art, with many opportunities to project ahead to the happy resolution.