Brilliant illustrations. There is a page I would love to have framed. It is of an owl made of cut-up receipts. The owl is hooting, represented by a cut-up musical sheet, into the night air. Just lovely.

The text does not put it over the top like the illustrations, but still a beautiful read. ( )

I wanted the cat to be Cupcake, but I guess it's the house!

Anyway. This has a lot of details that will probably be slowly discovered during multiple readings, which is something I love in a picture book. I can imagine a grown-up and child reading it regularly and noticing new things each time... The pictures in the little girl's room. The cat on every page. The writing on the recycled paper. How the book goes through the seasons. Are those flowers made from buttons? ( )

The immensely talented Carin Berger, whose cut-paper collage illustrations are always a joy to behold, returns in this latest picture book, which is by far her most beautiful yet! The minimal text describes the sights, sounds and feelings of the eponymous garden, while the artwork depicts the beauty of the natural world at night, and captures the charm of the little black cat whose presence provides a visual leitmotif throughout. The book closes with an invitation to sleep, having considered the many delights of the night garden...

As an admirer of Berger's work, which I first discovered through the lovely autumn picture book, The Little Yellow Leaf, I have been looking forward to In the Night Garden, and I was not disappointed. From beginning to end, it is just an absolute pleasure to peruse! I loved the deep color palette, with dark blues and greens, relieved by occasional bright colors, as it perfectly captures the mysterious enchantment of nighttime vistas. The use of cut paper was (as always with Berger) fascinating, particularly when the paper included bits of text, or of sheet music. The scene with the foxes was charming, and the cat throughout was adorable. Although I don't know that this has the same poignant appeal as Berger's The Little Yellow Leaf, which is probably her best book, from a narrative/storytelling perspective, I do think this one is her best achievement, aesthetically. Just a gorgeous, gorgeous book! Recommended to fellow fans of the artist, and to anyone seeking quiet, gentle bedtime books with beautiful illustrations. ( )

Lovely found paper art; summery book ( )

Spare, poetic text and stunningly detailed cut paper college with found ephemera (every. single. firefly!) combine to make a enchantingly stellar bedtime book.

See also: Beatrice Loves the Dark; The Night World; Sleep Tight Farm; Sleep Like A Tiger; A Bed of Stars

"In the night garden, you can lie on the cool grass and look up to the millions and trillions of stars."

"Sometimes the night garden is darker than dark and there are sounds that you don't know. Don't be afraid..." ( )