by Jean E. Pendziwol (Author), Isabelle Arsenault (Illustrator)
Once Upon a Northern Night has received starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal.
In this exquisite lullaby, the beauty and wonder of a northern winter night unfold, with images of a soft snowfall, the wild animals that appear in the garden, the twinkling stars, the gentle rhythm of the northern lights and the etchings of frost on the window pane.
As the young child sleeps, wrapped in a downy blanket, a snowflake falls, and then another and another. The poem describes the forest of snow-covered pines, where a deer and fawn nibble a frozen apple, and a great gray owl swoops down with its feathers trailing through the snow. Two snowshoe hares scamper and play under the watchful eyes of a little fox, and a tiny mouse scurries in search of a midnight feast. When the snow clouds disappear, stars light up the sky, followed by the mystical shimmering of northern lights - all framed by the frost on the window.
Jean E. Pendziwol's lyrical poem reflects a deep appreciation of the magic of a northern winter night where, even as a child slumbers, the world outside does not rest but continues its own natural rhythms.
Isabelle Arsenault's spare, beautifully rendered illustrations, with their subtle but striking use of color, make us feel that we too are experiencing the enchantment of that northern night. They simultaneously evoke winter's nighttime life and the cozy warmth and security of a beloved child's sleep.
Author Biography
Jean E. Pendziwol is the author of several highly acclaimed picture books, including Dawn Watch and The Red Sash, illustrated by Nicolas Debon, and Marja's Skis, illustrated by Jirina Marton. She was inspired to write this book by the long but beautiful northern nights in Thunder Bay, Ontario, where she lives with her family.
Isabelle Arsenault is a very talented Quebec illustrator, who has garnered an impressive number of awards and international recognition. She has illustrated several books, including Le coeur de monsieur Gauguin (Governor General's Award) and My Letter to the World and Other Poems (Governor General's Award Finalist, IRA Children's Choices), and she has won the Grand Prix for illustration (Magazines du Québec) for six years running.