Song for a Summer Night

Song for a Summer Night

Written by: Heidbreder, Robert
Illustrated by: Leng, Qin
ages 3 to 7 / grades P to 2
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As night falls on a soft summer evening, neighborhood children are drawn out of their houses by the sights and sounds of the world after dark. First the fireflies come sparkling past, followed by a host of domestic and wild animals, from cats and dogs to owls and skunks. Accomplished children’s poet Robert Heidbreder creates a world of enchantment, while Qin Leng’s illustrations conjure the harmonious interplay between our everyday domestic world and one that is just a little bit wilder. All the characters, both human and otherwise, have their moment on the nighttime stage, but eventually, the curtain falls, and sleepiness beckons.
As night falls on a soft summer evening, neighborhood children are drawn out of their houses by the sights and sounds of the world after dark. First the fireflies come sparkling past, followed by a host of domestic and wild animals, from cats and dogs to owls and skunks. Accomplished children’s poet Robert Heidbreder creates a world of enchantment, while Qin Leng’s illustrations conjure the harmonious interplay between our everyday domestic world and one that is just a little bit wilder. All the characters, both human and otherwise, have their moment on the nighttime stage, but eventually, the curtain falls, and sleepiness beckons.
Published By Groundwood Books Ltd — Apr 24, 2015
Specifications 32 pages | 9.5 in x 8.75 in
Written By

ROBERT HEIDBREDER is an award-winning children’s poet and author. His many books include I Wished for a Unicorn, Drumheller Dinosaur Dance, Song for a Summer Night and Rooster Summer. Robert spent thirty years as a primary school teacher and has won the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence. He lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, and continues to do many school and festival presentations.
Illustrated by

QIN LENG lives and works as a designer and illustrator in Toronto. She graduated from the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema and has received many awards for her animated short films and artwork. Her picture books include Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin by Chieri Uegaki (APALA Award, Governor General’s Literary Award finalist); Away by Emil Sher and A Family Is a Family Is a Family by Sara O’Leary (both USBBY Outstanding International Books); When I Found Grandma by Saumiya Balasubramaniam (Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award finalist) and I Am Small, which Qin has written and illustrated.
Written By

ROBERT HEIDBREDER is an award-winning children’s poet and author. His many books include I Wished for a Unicorn, Drumheller Dinosaur Dance, Song for a Summer Night and Rooster Summer. Robert spent thirty years as a primary school teacher and has won the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence. He lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, and continues to do many school and festival presentations.
Illustrated by

QIN LENG lives and works as a designer and illustrator in Toronto. She graduated from the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema and has received many awards for her animated short films and artwork. Her picture books include Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin by Chieri Uegaki (APALA Award, Governor General’s Literary Award finalist); Away by Emil Sher and A Family Is a Family Is a Family by Sara O’Leary (both USBBY Outstanding International Books); When I Found Grandma by Saumiya Balasubramaniam (Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award finalist) and I Am Small, which Qin has written and illustrated.
Audience ages 3 to 7 / grades P to 2
Reading Levels Lexile AD740L

“A sweet evocation of the pleasures of nighttime.” —Kirkus Reviews

“A stunning children’s picture book, infused with a subtle déjà vu that invites the reader on a magical journey of remembrance. . . . a glorious feast for the senses of sight, sound, and feeling.” —CM Magazine

“The atmosphere Heidbreder suggests with letters, Leng amplifies with soft colors, dreamy images, and blended backgrounds. Go ahead: get ready to snuggle in and share this summer lullaby tonight.” —BookDragon

“The poetry is a soft and lovely lullaby . . . The delicate illustrations, fashioned with ink and brush and digitally colored in pastel tones, evoke the beauty of the quiet night with perfect charm.” —School Library Journal

“Heidbreder’s gentle rhymes celebrate the natural world from a child’s perspective, perfectly capturing tiny details and the secret thrill of being awake in the wee hours. . . . Sure to become a favourite at bedtime.” —Quill & Quire

“Equally effective as a quiet bedtime story or as an entertaining group read-aloud, this is a creative and lovely addition to the lullaby canon.” —Booklist