A Patch of Black

‘What can you do with a patch of black, a moon and a silver star?’

It can become a sail for a dreaming boat, a flag atop a castle wherein to entertain a dragon for tea, a flying carpet perhaps or even a hammock rocked by friendly jungle animals. Taking the star-spangled patch of black framed in her bedroom window as the motif to conjure such fantasy worlds, these are some of the possibilities a mother encourages her toddler daughter to entertain as bedtime approaches.

The dream-like quality of the mixed media illustrations complements the lullaby feel of the repeating patterned, rhyming text making the whole thing an ideal bedtime experience for individuals as well as a starting point for discussing feelings about the dark.