Night Walk

A child explores her neighborhood on a late-night walk with her dad, finding delight and comfort in moments of quiet and the warm windows into other people's lives.

When a little girl can't sleep one night, her dad asks if she'd like to go for a walk. They tiptoe through the silent house and step out into the dark.

It's strange and exciting to be out so late. Walking down the street, the girl can see inside the lit-up windows of apartment buildings and houses where people's lives are unfolding. Kids are having a pillow fight in one house, while a family has gathered for a festive meal in another. She and her dad reach the still-busy shopping area, walking past restaurants and enticing store windows, then stop for a tranquil moment in the park before returning home.

Sara O'Leary has captured a child's nighttime wonder as she explores her neighborhood and comes to the comforting realization that she belongs. Ellie Arscott's illustrations, luminous and rich in color, perfectly complement the story.

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.6
Identify who is telling the story at various points in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.1
Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

SARA O'LEARY is a writer of fiction for adults and children. Her highly acclaimed picture books include A Family Is a Family Is a Family, illustrated by Qin Leng; Owls Are Good at Keeping Secrets, illustrated by Jacob Grant, and The Boy and the Blue Moon, illustrated by Ashley Crowley. She has also written the award-winning series of Henry books and This Is Sadie (adapted for the stage for New York City's Children's Theater), all illustrated by Julie Morstad. A graduate of the UBC Creative Writing Program, she has taught screenwriting and writing for children at Concordia University in Montreal.

ELLIE ARSCOTT has been sharing her love of color and paint with a wide range of clients for twenty years. She has painted scenic art for Toronto's Young People's Theatre and the National Ballet of Canada, and she has worked with the Toronto District School Board creating mural projects with school children. Ellie is currently painting a series of portraits for her own initiative, Girls Stand Tall, which encourages young girls to believe in themselves and their dreams. This is her first picture book.