Unless you are entirely new to the world of picture books, I'd guess that you know of OWL MOON, written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by John Schoennherr (Philomel, 1987). Both author and illustrator represent lifetimes of remarkable successes, and yet their collaboration on OWL MOON feels to me like a capstone accomplishment.
Yolen has published more than four hundred books for children and youth, many award winners among them. Even so, that title conjures instant memories of the utterly realistic yet magical cold weather owl walk of a child and parent. Through a snow-covered woodland, they stroll quietly, gently, seeking a glimpse of a night owl.
That's a lovely premise, to say the least. The magic comes in the way a seemingly simple, concrete story transcends the intended goal to depict a timeless yet precious moment between the human pair, christened by the eventual presence of the owl in the title. The illustrations captured and expanded the frozen, heartwarming, minimalist story with Caldecott Award-winning images that engage all of our senses.
That book is touchstone in storytelling, poetry, voice, mood, and figurative language.
I begin with that homage because I rarely compare other books to OWL MOON, and definitely don't rank other work alongside that original. This picture book is an exception to my unwritten rule. NIGHT WALK is written and illustrated by Jason Cockcroft. This is not "another Owl Moon", rather it calls that icon to mind in content and quality. In this case, it's Grandpa waking up Sleepyhead to take a night walk in search of Grandma's favorite place. The text is an extended dialogue between Grandpa and child, reading like direct open verse in exchanges alternating plain font and italic. The child has never taken a night walk, has never imagined how such familiar wild territory could look so different in moonlight.
Together they are on a trek to Grandma's favorite place, with the child noticing countless things they knew were beloved by Grandma. Sometimes the child points them out, other times Grandpa does. Each discovery is viewed as a potential "Grandma's favorite place". Their hike involves fox and owl, fish and hedgehog, The illustrations are richly evocative, with shades and depths of blue, always frosted by moonglow.
Under the stars, too many to count, watching passing whales, both rest on a hillside and whisper that they miss Grandma. In the fading night, Grandpa finally confirms that THIS is Grandma's favorite place-- as a page turn reveals a spectacular morning sunrise reflected in dawn waters. That, my friends, is a spoiler, but one that I won't apologize for revealing. The progression of story allows that penultimate scene to take your breath away, whether you know it is coming or not. I won't reveal the closing text on the final page turn, but you might anticipate it.
This quietly elegant and yet simply rustic tale is not one that surprises. In fact it will resonate in each reader with your own special memories, personal losses, hallowed spaces. And with the remaining relationships with those who shared memories and love. I hope you'll take time not only to read NIGHT WALK, but to savor its grace and embrace your own memories and emotional treasures. Within the publishing world it is often repeated that "quiet books" are a hard sell. With this as an example, I doubt that.
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