Daddy, Me, and the Magic Hour

A boy cherishes the twilight stroll he takes with his father through their neighborhood to the park. After a frenzied dinner with his mom, dad, and baby sibling (the boy’s father has to tell him to “Stop bothering the cat and come to the table. Now”), the two embark on what is clearly their nightly ritual. Rich’s artwork has a velvety texture that contrasts with inky cross-hatching. Snapshot-like panels separated by smudgy black margins show the moment-by-moment progression of their excursion, as the two encounter joggers, neighbors watering plants, and dogs and their walkers. In the park they play tic-tac-toe with sticks and ride on playground swings. As the evening gets darker, the scenes broaden into full-bleed spreads that focus on the special moments that the boy and his father share in the park, surrounded by fireflies. A bedtime kiss from the boy’s mother concludes this tender outing. Ages 3–6.[em] (May) [/em]