The Night Shimmy

Eric is a silent and solitary child whose minimal interactions with the rest of mankind are conducted through his imaginary friend, The Night Shimmy. When he meets a real child who accepts his personality unquestioningly, Eric is drawn into a brief, tempestuous and liberating rite of passage. The Night Shimmy waves goodbye from the final page. This is one of those short and simply told tales whose surface straightforwardness yields complex mysteries at the slightest touch. Both the economical text and the spectral illustrations are as quietly evocative of struggling forces as the child's initial silence. An excellent book for readers of all ages to talk about and enjoy.