Are you looking for a book that begs to be read again and again at bedtime? A charming poem to slow young readers down and send your little ones off into dreamland? Shauntay Grant has given us just that with Bright Lights and Summer Nights, a lyrical lullaby that flows like one dream into another—from carousels to caramels, country roads to country fairs. Each word of its minimal yet meaningful text leads to the next with precision and intention. Grant’s excellent economy of language proves that less is more in this playful picture book.
Illustrations by Zach Manbeck bring depth and dimension to Grant’s gentle text, taking a pajama-clad protagonist on a magical nighttime adventure. With vivid greens and golds and whimsical celestial imagery, Manbeck’s vibrant illustrations flow as freely as Grant’s meditative poem. A sleepy baby is set off on a journey through a starry sky to a dream full of forest friends and fireflies. Roller coasters and red balloons invite the reader to discover what might appear on each subsequent page. After carousel and trolley rides, flying with fireflies and finding just the right lilypad on which to rest their head, a night sky resplendent with fireworks leads our baby off into a dreamy dark, lulling them right to sleep.
The sparse text encourages readers to take in the story slowly and pay attention to every turn of phrase and each star or shadow they see. Bright Lights and Summer Nights is a true lullaby, gently soothing readers to a place where they are ready for an enchanted night’s rest. Reminiscent of classic bedtime stories like Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, this lovely book is a beautiful bedtime story young readers will request night after night. Bright Lights and Summer Nights is a worthy addition to any young child’s bedtime routine.