Night in the Country

""There is no night so dark, so black as night in the country.'' So begins a remarkable picture book that sweeps the reader into the quiet, special world of a country night. Exceptionally beautiful illustrations bring the scenes to life as the text whispers such lines as: ``If you lie very still, you may hear an apple fall from the tree in the back yard. Listen.'' On the next page the apple falls: ``Pump!'' Ever so slowly the night passes and sunrise brightens the morning sky. Night in the Country is a gentle, soothing story that's perfectly suited for bedtime reading. Rylant and Szilagyi have collaborated on one previous book, This Year's Garden. The combination is auspicious, and we hope there are more treasures to come from them. (36)