Review by Booklist Review
A nocturnal little librarian in pigtails and her three owl assistants help the library's visitors find exactly what they need in the latest from Kohara. In striking block-printed pictures rendered in thick black, dusky blue, and sunny yellow, Kohara follows the helpful midnight librarian through one night of problems the squirrel band wants to practice their noisy new material; Miss Wolf reads a sad book and weeps rainlike tears all over the reading room; and Tortoise won't leave at closing time. Luckily, the midnight library has resources to satisfy everyone. There's an activity room where the band can play and a storytelling corner where Miss Wolf can listen to a happy ending; Tortoise can sign up for a library card, and, of course, there's a perfect bedtime book for three sleepy owls. The jaunty, cartoonish illustrations depict happy animals enjoying the library for more than just reading, and cooperatively respecting everyone's space (is there a more important library lesson?). It goes without saying that this is perfect for storytime.--Hunter, Sarah Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
For children whose early bedtimes make them feel like they're missing all the fun, Kohara (Here Comes Jack Frost) offers a gentle middle-of-the-night fantasy. Her library for nocturnal creatures is open all night, staffed by a young librarian with braids and her three assistant owls. They take good care of their animal patrons, guiding a noisy band of squirrel musicians upstairs to the activity room and encouraging Miss Wolf to stick with the story she's reading, despite the traumatic part in the middle ("She was crying so much her tears fell like rain"). The ringing of a bell lets everyone know that dawn is coming, and they have to go home-even the tortoise who insists that he has to finish his book first: "I only have 500 pages left!" Kohara, a skilled visual storyteller, creates intricate linocut prints whose black outlines are accented with ochre and midnight blue. She switches nimbly between big spreads, sequential panels, and cutaway views. The curves of the library's doorway and its black spiral staircase give the pages just the tiniest taste of charming gothic gloom. Ages 3-6. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Kohara's latest picture book is tailor-made for pajama storytimes. The Midnight Library is unusual-only open from midnight until dawn. Bustling among furry and feathered patrons, a little librarian and her three assistant owls help each and every reader find the perfect book. Acknowledging that modern libraries also function as vibrant community centers where noise is accommodated, the diminutive information professional cheerfully leads a band of musical squirrels to the activity room, where they "played their instruments as loud as they liked." As dawn approaches and the librarian prepares to close down, she patiently persuades a slowly reading tortoise to get a library card and borrow his selection-a scene which will ring familiar for many librarians. As in Ghosts in the House (Roaring Brook, 2008), Kohara employs a limited but bold palette for her sightly retro-style linocut illustrations. Thick black lines define the young librarian, her animal patrons, and the angular, teetering stacks of books. Mustard yellow, which serves as the primary color throughout, lends the nighttime setting a coziness and warmth appropriate for snuggling up for storytime. Pops of navy blue accent both the midnight sky glimpsed through windows and the dozens of library books. Kohara achieves something unique with this title: a modern sensibility with a classic aesthetic. A delightful addition to picture book collections.-Kiera Parrott, School Library Journal (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Welcome to the Midnight Library, where a little-girl librarian and her three owl assistants provide a friendly spot for animals from "all over the town" to "find a perfect book." Outside the windows, stars twinkle in a black sky; inside, the library glows with a warm golden light. The little librarian, braids flying, cheerfully bustles around the packed bookshelves, where small dramas are happily resolved alongside library business-as-usual. Kohara's (Ghosts in the House!, rev. 9/08) gentle story and vibrant compositions have an old-fashioned sensibility and simplicity. The illustrations, which look like wood-block prints, feature just three colors: black, gold, and blue. With this limited (but not limiting) palette and strong, energetic lines, Kohara captures the magic of the middle-of-the-night goings on. This is a dream of a library, too, designed with lots of reading nooks (including top-of-bookshelf perches), comfy chairs, lanterns, and trees with ornaments on the branches, adding to the enchantment. There's a lot to linger over on the pages, and the art varies from full- and double-page spreads to smaller panel illustrations. When the sky begins to lighten, it's time for the library to close and for the little librarian and the owls to "find one last book." Of course, that last book is a bedtime story, which is the perfect way to end this beguiling library visit. kitty flynn (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
