Flashlight - (Junior Library Guild Selection) by Lizi Boyd (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Named an NPR Best Book of the Year and Junior Library Guild Selection, this wordless storybook with stunning illustrations aims to lighten the fear of the dark and the noises that come with it.

"Flashlight allows readers to experience the wonder and excitement of nighttime exploration in the woods and wordlessly entices readers to explore the hidden nature outside their own homes."--The Busy Librarian

Inside the tent it's cozy, but what is going on outside? Is it dark? Is it scary? Not if you have your trusty flashlight!

In this charming story, told solely through images, artist Lizi Boyd offers an enchanting exploration of night, nature, and the nocturnal world. One boy's camping adventure gets even better when he shines a light into the shadows and finds all sorts of nighttime creatures, fascinating insects, plants, trees, and streams--all brilliantly illuminated in the beam of his flashlight.

Both lyrical and humorous, this visual poem--like the flashlight beam itself--reveals there is magic in the darkness. We just have to look for it.

​INSPIRES THE IMAGINATION: Camping books for kids are usually filled with how-to guides or campfire stories. Flashlight is a unique children's book that captures the special magic of a camp-out through artwork that makes the moonlight-touched backyard forest come to life.

SEEK-AND-FIND FUN: Though not a typical search-and-find book, Flashlight's pages reveal beautiful details that readers can return to again and again to study and explore.

APPEALING FOR RELUCTANT AND EARLY READERS: Wordless stories like Aaron Becker's Journey and complete Wordless Trilogy; David Wiesner's Flotsam, Tuesday, and many other titles; and Tomie dePaola's Pancakes for Breakfast offer young or reluctant readers the chance to explore books in a way that can establish a positive connection to reading.

Perfect for:

• Ideal book for preschool through first grade
• Also appeals to readers of all ages with the calming yet adventurous tone
• Parents, teachers, and librarians looking for nature-themed children's picture books
• Fans of The Book with No Pictures, Hervé Tullet books like Press Here, and Wimmelbooks for kids

Review Quotes

"A completely engrossing, wordless story."--NPR Best Books of 2014

"A charming and cleverly drawn picture book that needs no words to create a tiny, magical world."--Slate

"A must-have wordless picture book."--Library Media Connection, starred review

"Beneath the sweet, enchanting illustrations...lies a deeper reminder about the wonderland that unfolds when one is simply willing to look."--Maria Popova, Brainpickings

"Children will enjoy repeatedly poring over the many details and creating their own nighttime narratives for this wordless outing."--Booklist

"Flashlight allows readers to experience the wonder and excitement of nighttime exploration in the woods and wordlessly entices readers to explore the hidden nature outside their own homes."--The Busy Librarian

"This elegant book serves to alleviate fear of night noises, instigate talk of nocturnal creatures, or bring calm as a bedtime story."-School Library Journal, starred review

"A wordless picture book both soothing and gently humorous."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Boyd showcases a child who is fully capable of educating and entertaining himself with only a few simple tools (a camping tent, a flashlight) at his disposal."-Publishers Weekly

"Positively breathtaking... nothing short of brilliant... No book more purely beautiful has appeared this year."-The Boston Globe

"This book brilliantly illustrates the passing time in myriad delightful ways. Wordless, Avant Après features pairs of images that show varied and unexpected before-and-after scenarios. The illustrations are graphic, clear, and uncluttered in a rich palette. While the its non-linearity invites readers to dip in and leaf through the pages at random, the end of the book triggers the desire to re-read it from the beginning and let time pass as they do."

"This inventive wordless offering... provides plenty of clever details."-The Horn Book

About the Author

Lizi Boyd is the author and illustrator of many children's books, including Inside Outside, and also creates papers, ribbons, cards, and other works of delight. She lives in Vermont.