Hannah’s Night

Hannah wakes up to find that it is still night time. Her sister is fast asleep and so are her parents so when Hannah gets up and helps herself to cherries from the fridge and borrows her sister’s things without asking, nobody is there to tell her off. Hannah’s little adventure tires her out and she falls asleep to the soothing morning light of first dawn and the soft coo-ing of a dove at her window.

This gentle story is told in a sparse text that gives the rich illustrations centre stage. The dark night time scenery is brought to life in a series of deep, vivid oil paintings that seems to flicker with movement. It is a style that will particularly appeal to those artistically inclined, but for a little one struggling to get to sleep the idea of awakening to a midnight potter about the house is a prospect worth going to sleep for. This unique picture book could be a surprise hit with very young tots.