Night Lunch

Darkness has fallen and the creatures of the night are feeling peckish. Along comes Owl’s food cart, wistfully watched by a little mouse as owl serves his customers. Many of these animals would also eat mice as part of their diet, so the reader is very aware of the mouse’s vulnerability.

This book has stunning illustrations that evoke a magical air, using the contrast of light and muted colours. There is a sinister feel to the street scenes as we see various night predators queue up for food with sharp teeth and gleaming eyes. The animals are large on the page emphasising their power and presence in contrast to the little watchful mouse, but despite this there is a comforting feel in the glow of the street lights and the preparation of the food.

The text is very brief, just a phrase or sentence on each page but it is enough to describe what is happening, and the use of onomatopoeia is very effective, “Tick hum, oven’s on. Pots and spoons are clanging.”

The more I look at this book, the more I see – it would especially appeal as a read aloud to preschoolers.