I’m a grown woman who would be perfectly happy to have someone read If You Were Night to me at bedtime on a regular basis. The text is subtly poetic and the cut paper artwork scenes are so nice. Such skill! - even a spider web! This is a beautiful pairing of a visual art form and writing for a lovely picture book.

This story is all about what you could do if you are the night. It is adorable throughout the entire book. The animals are cute and the book's art has a popup style to it that works really well.

5 stars.

It was a lovely read. Unique illustration style that merges perfectly with the writing and plot of the book. Makes the reader really think about how we usually percieve the outside, specially at night. Perfect read before going outside and really meditate and enjoy what's surrounding you. Perfect for kids.

This enchanting picture book asks the reader a series of questions like: “If you were night, what would you do?” It encourages the reader to walk into the night on an adventure to explore what they can find and to consider how they would act and respond to the breath-taking stimuli such as an otter splashing, a spider stitching by starlight or a slug munching.

There is a poetic, calm and lyrical feel to this beautiful picture book. It is certainly a unique and fantastical exploration of the natural world at night that engages all the readers senses. The illustrations are amazing paper-cut dioramas that brings the night alive with wildlife and magic - each one more evocative than the last. The children will spend hours examining the intricate cut-outs to spot the creatures and learn more about their world.

The ideal book for bedtime reading and to lull your small child into a sleep full of miraculous dreams about what happens outside when the sun goes down. It could be used in the classroom to support topics and discussion on nature and the natural environment and will help to encourage their observations skills and encourage curiosity.

A book to cherish.

The paper cut illustrations were rich and full of depth and beauty. They were my favorite part of the book. The repetitive nature of Muon Thi Van's story is good for young children, and I could see this being a favorite bedtime story.
"I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

If you were at night, what would you do?

A discovery of the different sounds of the night, mainly emitted by animals. A poetic album, which goes around the little noises of the countryside which can frighten being a child, making them much more attractive.

The peculiarity of this book is that it is in English and that the illustrations were created from cut paper and shadow games, perfectly illustrating the world of the night!

This book was beautifully made. Each page was crafted so meticulously and had so many different dimensions. It made flipping through the book a very captivating experience. The words themself were poetic and painted a serene, night-time atmosphere. This would be an excellent bedtime story.

This is a simple, gentle picture book that explores the idea of what a child might do if they personified the night.

The concept is a little bit abstract, and I'm not exactly in love with the writing, but the pictures more than make up for the narrative's shortcomings. The cut-paper illustrations are detailed yet soft, bringing to life a nocturnal world full of busy critters.

I'd recommend this one to fans of cut-paper illustration, as well as to parents who are looking for a good book for winding down at bedtime.

This book is beautiful! I love the theme and the poetry, but I found the art absolutely captivating.

It was a nice poem, I could see reading this as a bed time story. I also think the art could translate well into a pop up book.

If You Were Night brings you along on a journey through the nighttime world just beyond the window and asks, “if you were night, what would you do?”.
Written in a conversational, engaging voice, the words are written with a lyricism that is beautifully complemented by the intricate visuals. The stunning papercut illustrations are engrossing and really drew me in with all their intricate details; I think this would be an absolutely lovely story to read for bedtimes.

If You Were Night is an adorable children’s book that explores the world as it is when most humans go to bed. Using beautiful photos of pastel-colored 3-D paper scenes built in a way to allow a play of shadows similar to moonlight, its pages capture the beauty of the world during a full moon. I can imagine that this book would be a hit with children who love animals and curious kids who often wonder what happens in the world while they dream.
I also imagine the if you have a child who gets afraid as the sun disappears behind the horizon, this book could help them get over their fears. The gentle landscapes depicted in the pictures and soft, poetic prose of the story would be set anyone with such a fear at ease.
I feel that anyone with a child who loves pretty pictures and whispered stories would love to have this in their library.

This book is GORGEOUS. I've read another of Mượn Thị Văn's picture books ("One Is a Lot (Except When It's Not)") and the text was fun and clever, but this one really shines. The text is so gentle and poetic -- it's such a sweet lullaby to send a child off to sleep. However, the real star of the show is the illustrations by Kelly Pousette. It's like a mix of the gorgeous cut paper Elly MacKay and the tender soft pencil drawings of Isabelle Arsenault (two of my absolute favorite illustrators). I will definitely track down her other picture books!

This was a very unique and beautiful tale. It is a lovely way to introduce night and the animals that move in the night, it is also a beautiful way to talk about rhyming and poetry, as well as learn new animals. We loved it and also found the illustrations absolutely stunning.

A whimsical picture book for children with imaginations. A tale of the night, while you are tucked in bed, you will be whisked away to what happens just outside your door. The illustrations and along with the words and questions have a calming affect of the normalcy of the outdoors.

A Special Thank you to Kids Can Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

A charming picture book with absolutely gorgeous, detailed illustrations. Though the story itself is a bit slight, it's worth a look for the pictures alone.

This delightful story is written by Mượn Thị Văn and beautifully illustrated by Kelly Pousette. I’ve read a few new children’s books lately, and this is one of the best at combining truly stunning illustrations created using paper-cut dioramas - which add a lovely depth to the illustrations – and beautiful poetic verse for children and parent, alike.
The questions posed follow the thought that if you were night, what would you do if you saw the moon tiptoe past your window, would you stay nestled under the covers, or would you step outside to follow the moon and the many sounds and sights that come with the night. A moth slurping. An owl flying over. What would you do? A frog croaking. A spider spinning a web. Would you sweep it away, or would you <i>stitch by starlight, too?</i>
Throughout the night this story continues as different birds and animals appear, deer, coyote, a bat, bear, snake and slug, along with a salmon, an owl, a mouse until the morning light begins to appear, with both the illustrations and the story are a lovely ode to all who inhabit nature, and the beauty found there.
A wonderful bedtime story for parents to share with their children, one that parents won’t grow tired of, and children will request again, for both the beauty of the story as well as the charming illustrations.


Pub Date: 01 Sept 2020

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Kids Can Press and NetGalley

What a beautiful picture book. The illustrations were very interesting to look at, and the writing style was so poetic and lovely to read. I think that this is a wonderful book, that lots of children would enjoy. It also made me think about lots of different things!

The folded and cut artwork beautifully mirrors the sparse, poetic language of the book. This is a picture book adults and children can look at and enjoy.

If you were night would you react to your surroundings or would you embrace them?

This was a gorgeously illustrated book about nocturnal creatures and posing the reader a dilemma: would you react to the creatures or simply observe? The poetic rhythm is has a dream-like quality, and would be a great one to inspire nighttime imaginings.

* I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*