Orion and the Dark

Orion is a precocious boy with some big fears, and the biggest one of all is the dark. Although he tries to approach the problem analytically and ingeniously (he considers "dressing up like an owl," because "everyone knows that owls can see in the dark"), nothing can vanquish his anxiety. Then one night the dark becomes the Dark: a smiling, twinkling, biomorphic creature who extends a midnight-blue hand of friendship (thanks to a hand-shaped die cut). The Dark leads Orion on a night of friendly mischief (bed bouncing!), common-sense talk, and a trip into the very heavens where Dark reigns. Orion is sold: "I realized the Dark could be fun, and the Dark could be interesting, and the Dark could be magical." Yarlett (Sidney, Stella, and the Moon), working an evocatively nocturnal palette of greens and blues, draws on an impressive repertoire of compositional and narrative techniques to portray this touching celestial friendship. The varied images are gorgeous to look at, and they will leave readers feeling fortunate to have witnessed these two protagonists' starry-eyed mutual affection. Ages 3%E2%80%937. Agent: Louise Lamont, LBA Books. (Mar.)