Lights At Night, written by Tasha Hilderman and illustrated by Maggie Zeng. tundra, Penguin Random House. 2025. $24.99 ages 3 and up

 

"The power goes out ... 

Darkness inside, 
darkness outside. 

We fall asleep to the 
sound of the rain ... 

But the nights are alive with buzzing and humming. 
Spring is here. Flower heads and furry faces poke
out of the dark earth."

This book about seasonal light values what happens when the sun goes down, and is perfect for bedtime reading. As streetlights come on in the spring, rain falls leaving puddles that glimmer in the fading light. The family runs from the car, making it inside just in time to miss the raindrops and watch the power go out. It's dark everywhere.

That doesn't stop the fun. Rain patters on the rooftop while the children find comfort in flashlight reading and blanket tents. As the family sleeps inside, readers learn of all that is happening outside their house. Kits are born to a fox under moonlight. Nature hums with wonder. Observant readers will follow those foxes throughout the telling as they, too, find wonder in the seasons. 

Summer arrives with the sights and sounds of campfires, toasting marshmallows and fireworks. Camping is a summer delight. Then, as farmers work their fields and summer skies darken earlier and earlier, a school bus ride gets children home at twilight where they are encouraged to come inside to enjoy the warmth found there. Football games under the lights and the arrival of Halloween fill the evening sky with jack-o-lantern glow and deep shadows.

Fall's cool weather will soon turn to cold. Winter nights lengthen and darkness prevails; the children find joy in winter activities. Skating, Christmas lights, and travelling through snow-filled skies are filled with wonder. The beams from the car's headlights fall on the once again on the spring fox and her kits as they make alongside. Everything is aglow.