I loved this one and the kids loved this one! Such a great informative read for young minds! This is definitely one that I want to keep and reread to the kids for a long time. The writing was so beautiful and well done.

'Welcome, Dark' by Charis St. Pierre with illustrations by Rachel Wada is a bedtime book for little ones.

Told in gentle rhymes, we hear the sounds of the night and the book shows there is nothing to fear. There are animals hiding and leaves blowing and other night sights and sounds.

It's a lovely, calm bedtime book meant to comfort and calm. The illustrations are beautiful and convey the rhyme of the text.

Things that may go bump in the night don't seem as scary when you look at all the wonders they can bring. Rain and wind can be welcome, as well as the darkness. The author's soothing words, accompanied by the gorgeous artwork byRachel Wada offer comfort, and security.

What a wonderful way to be lulled off to dreamland.

This a short, quiet book welcoming the changes that come with darkness. The text has a nice rhythm and rhyme that is very soothing and lyrical. It would be a nice way to frame darkness as a calm, natural thing rather than something to be scared of. The story makes it seem like rain and wind are routine parts of nighttime, which may be confusing for kids, and the story seems to end so quickly it's almost abrupt. Still, brevity may be positive point for a bedtime book!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

This book presents very crips & dense illustrations by Rachel Wada that lend themselves to a very short poem set to explore the world when it gets dark. Though I would say that this is a tender poem, the illustrations set themselves as a bit too dark—I found it difficult to grasp what we were to be taking from the sombre images. Certainly, there is something to love & appreciate about the artistic choice & I should not want my review to indicate that I think that this choice was wrong.

However, this is a book for very, very, young readers. There is no plot & is simply a dedication to the night. Therefore, given the widely imaginative reality of a young mind, I think it might have been nice to explore some of the transition from daylight to moonlight & then, what happens when it’s totally dark. This might have encouraged younger readers to remember that the shapes they see are only those with whom we share this space on earth.

Regardless, this is a sweet poem. It’s very short & very pointed, meant to invoke feelings of calm when putting a child to rest. With that being said, I appreciated all the aspects of the poem that were covered. I think many children will find these words spoken by a loved one to be of comfort before sleep.

Thank you to NetGalley, Orca Book Publishers, & Charis St. Pierre for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Welcome, Dark

Rachel Wada

Captivating text and strong but soothing illustrations portray nightfall in exquisite rhyme. The rhythm is peaceful and the imagery perfect; the wonders of the hidden world of night and the influences of wind and rain are presented in calming couplets.
“Welcome, night, Wild and deep
Hum your music while I sleep”

Welcome, Dark is an enchanting addition to bedtime stories.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for this honest review.

A simple, lovely poem to lull littles to sleep at night, this is about welcoming the dark and all that gets accomplished while we sleep.

Gorgeously illustrated, this will be a book your littles will ask for again and again. Simply wonderful.

Thank you to NetGalley, Charis St. Pierre, Rachel Wada - Illustrator and Orca Book Publishers for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very cute, well-illustrated children's picture book. It will be a great bedtime story for littles and parents alike. Written in a short and simplistic way, this story is lyrical and rhythmic and will help put your little ones to bed.

The illustrations are wonderful, focusing on nature and the world around us in a soothing manner. They are detailed nicely to fit with the rhyming story and the showcasing of nature is beautiful.

This book is short but impactful, and a lovely read.

Sparse in color, just as nighttime is. Black and white, blue and gray with a tiny touch of tan. Animals and items are outlined.
Each page has a line or two. There’s rain and wind. My favorite picture is the last page of the baby asleep in the crib.

Simpler than I was expecting but definitely got pulled into the magic of night, the illustrations were interesting and ethereal

This book is just GORGEOUS. I had to look up the illustrator, and recognized their style from the als0-beautiful "The Phone Book in Mr. Hirota's Garden." I'll be following them, now, since I know anytime something of Wada's is published, my eyes are in for a treat. Honestly, I can see this being a Caldecott contender!

This book is done in greyscale, blue highlights, and very sparing yellow. Perfect colors for a mysterious night. The numerous animals are done with minimal detail, but have great form. Realism, despite simplicity.

The text is simple and short. A few stanzas of ABCB rhyme, making a cute little nursery song. You'll get through this one fast, so make this the last book of the night, when your kid is aaaaaaalmost asleep and wants "just one more story." This one should do the trick!

Welcome, Dark is a delightful children's picture book. The pose is absolutely lyrical and the illustrations are magically dark reflecting the beauty found at night. This is the perfect story to read aloud to younger children at bedtime.

A beautiful picture book both in illustration and verse. A story of some of the beautiful things in nature that occur when we sleep. I love the way the illustrator portrayed night, not as complete darkness but in shades of blues and grays. A short story, but a winner!

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review

Welcome, Dark is a beautiful new picture book with amazing illustrations that will captivate young readers. This poetic book invites readers to explore the sights and sounds of the night, while also creating opportunity for conversation. A must add to your child's collection. This will become a story they ask to read over and over.

Thank you to NetGalley and @orcabook for the ARC.

What a beautifully illustrated story about nighttime. The tambour of the music of the poem calls Goodnight, Moon to mind. What a beautiful calming book for just before bed…or a nice study of rhyme and rhythm.

Thank you to NetGalley and @orcabook for the opportunity to read and review this book

This is a wonderful rhyming bedtime story for a little one. A loving mother is tucking her child into bed with the assurance that as sleep descends the night still progresses with sounds, animals waking up, leaves blowing in the wind, and crops being watered, just to name a few.

The book explains to young readers the importance of the night activities and that they shouldn't be feared but be welcomed. The wild and incessant busyness is very important and necessary. Children are invited to embrace everything that is exciting and mysterious about the night world and not be afraid.

The illustrations are beautiful. The illustrator won the Elizabeth Mark-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award in 2019 and the Freeman Book Award for Children's Literature on East and Southeast Asia. They marry perfectly with the storyline and invite children into the story. Children are reassured that they can lay down in perfect peace because despite the activity and sounds that occur during the night they are safely tucked into their own beds and calm belongs to them.

I love the book and highly recommend it.

This was a perfect bedtime story.

I loved the flow of it and the illustrations were beautiful.

I look forward to reading this to my children again and again.

Can YOU describe that feeling?
That feeling you have when you step into the DARK?
When you join in the magic of evening?

Through hauntingly magical illustrations and poetic verse comparable to Anne Bronte Welcome, Dark is a work of art for all ages. The pages glow with moonlight and you’ll swear you can hear the wind blowing through each scene. And just when you think you captured all of the artistic elements another aspect jumps out at you and gasps escape your throat.

While this may sound like literature for an adult it is the perfect way to introduce your young reader to art, poetry, our relationship with the environment and the pure beauty of children’s literature.
Grateful to have received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley & Orca Book Publishers

Welcome, Dark
4.5 Stars

Welcome, Dark is a great book for putting children to bed. It focuses on a call for nighttime. The illustrations are captivating, though muted, and monotonal to set the stage for winding down for bedtime. Young children will enjoy the rhyming poetry this book offers, while parents likely won't mind reading it a few extra times because it's short & sweet.

Thank you, NetGalley and Orca Book Publishing, for providing me with a digital ARC for an honest review.

I like the premise of this book, and I hoped it would be a sweet, comforting book to chase the monsters from under the bed! The colors are illuminating.