This resource for older kids explores what happens after dark, when most people are sleeping. As the author writes at the outset, “There’s a whole world of exciting activity happening during the dark hours of the night.”

The book begins with describing the tasks that the brain and body perform while you are sleeping. It has interesting information on sleep and dreaming, such as the fact that “Your body becomes temporarily paralyzed during REM sleep!” (REM sleep is explained along with other stages of the sleep cycle.). The mechanics of dreaming are also explored.

It then moves on to nocturnal creatures, and what they get up to at night. How do cats see in the dark? How do bats hear? What do plants do at night? You will learn in this book.

In fact, the part about plants is so valuable because while we often read about what animals are doing at night, we rarely hear or think about plants. But in fact, plants do behave differently in the dark - they even do math! This section is fascinating.

Moving out into the sky, the author then explains why there is “night” at all and introduces you to the stars, planets, and other objects visible in the night sky.

The books ends with a glossary and guide to selected sources.

Excellent illustrations and diagrams by Josh Holinaty help “illuminate” the concepts explained.

Evaluation:: This is an excellent resource for learning at home, but is way too interesting and informative to be “just” for kids! ( )

This is a really interesting book, grouping together what might seem a lot of disparate subjects with the common theme of night.

It starts with a brief introduction of all the exciting things that happen at night, and then jumps into the science of sleep. There's a brief comic strip telling the story of a teenager who broke a world record for staying awake - and why that world record no longer exists! With colorful charts, graphs, and blocky chunks of colors, readers will learn about different kinds of sleep, what your brain does while you're sleeping, dreams, and more.

The next section tackles nocturnal creatures and how they adapt to life at night. Bonus, it also includes a definition of crepuscular, one of my favorite words! Readers learn about night vision, echolocation, and how different animals sleep. There's a section on light pollution, and then the book moves on to plants. This was really fascinating. It talks about how plants "sleep" and I learned a new word, nyctinasty!

The last section features the night sky and covers the auroras, the light of stars and planets, and ends with "last thoughts before bed" summarizing the book. Back matter includes a glossary, sources, and an index.

Verdict: A unique and intriguing offering the succinctly covers a subject not often seen in children's literature. Recommended for middle grade nonfiction buffs who like science.

ISBN: 9781525301094; Published September 2020 by Kids Can Press; Borrowed from another library in my consortium

‘’In the evenings, as the sky grows dark, living creatures of all different shapes and sizes prepare themselves for sleep. You might enjoy a bedtime snack, put on a favourite pair of pyjamas, brush your teeth and settle into bed to read by the light of a softly glowing lamp. Before long, your eyes are closed and you’re drifting off to dreamland. Have you ever wondered, though, what might be happening while you’re asleep?’’

A beautiful, informative guide. A journey to the fascinating world of darkness. An exciting trip into the night and its enticing secrets. The enigma of sleep and the land of dreams. The life of nocturnal species, from the nightly walks of the cats to the wonder that takes place in the deep waters. The mind-blowing way in which owls perceive sound, the immense danger of light pollution, the extraordinary calculations of the plants during the night, the beauty and serenity of moon gardens, the awe we experience when we turn our eyes upon the night sky with the flickering stars, the beautiful moon, and (if we are so fortunate…) the auroras. The particular challenges of the midnight sun and the difficulties that come with the polar nights.

Beautiful illustrations and a handy Glossary complete a reading experience that should grace every child’s bookcase.

‘’Up in the night sky, objects in our solar system spin, orbit, stream and fall, creating or reflecting light that shines toward us.
The night still holds many mysteries about the wild and wonderful things that happen while we sleep. Maybe that’s something you can dream about.’’

Many thanks to Kids Can Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com/ ( )