The Night Is Yours - by Abdul-Razak Zachariah (Hardcover)

About the Book

From a vantage point high in their apartment, a parent narrates as Amani plays hide-and-seek at night with her friends in the neighborhood.

Book Synopsis

From the New York Times bestselling illustrator of I Am Enough, this glowing, empowering picture book about a nighttime hide-and-seek game celebrates blackness and self-confidence.

Little one, so calm and so happy, the darkness of the night is yours like the darkness of your skin.

This lyrical text, narrated to a young girl named Amani by her father, follows her as she plays an evening game of hide-and-seek with friends at her apartment complex. The moon's glow helps Amani find the last hidden child, and seems almost like a partner to her in her game, as well as a spotlight pointing out her beauty and strength.

This is a gorgeous bedtime read-aloud about joy and family love and community, and most of all about feeling great in your own skin.

Review Quotes

2020 Connecticut Book Award Winner

★ "Zachariah's lyrical language aches to be read aloud and second-person narrative makes this a perfect book to share one-on-one or in storytime." --School Library Journal, starred review

"The Night Is Yours explores the beauty of the night and the innocence of childhood, making it a delightful story to share with young readers of all backgrounds." ⁠--Booklist

About the Author

Abdul-Razak Zachariah grew up in West Haven, Connecticut, and based the story's apartment complex and community on his own. A graduate of Yale College, he was deeply involved in diversity and inclusion advocacy while there, and he received the Mellon Mays Research Fellowship and the Nakanishi Prize. He is currently working in college student recruitment and community partnerships at LEAP, a New Haven literacy organization. The Night Is Yours is his first book.

Keturah A. Bobo was born in Toledo, Ohio, and graduated with a BFA from Columbus College of Art and Design. Many of her illustrations are empowering depictions of black women and girls. "As an artist," she says, "it is my duty to make art that inspires, uplifts, and advocates for my community. Nothing is more important in my art than this." Her first picture book, I Am Enough, is a New York Times bestseller.