Jessica M. Boehman

In this wordless story, the Lions take an evening subway ride through New York to visit Coney Island. Their evening is filled with snacks, rollers coasters, and prizes. They finish up with a trip to the aquarium and dip in the ocean. Later they are welcomed home by the librarian with bedtime stories and cuddles. The artwork is beautiful and dynamic and perfect for young readers. The pops of color in the black in white pages draw the eye and the rich details of their adventure are all about the fun. At the end of the book is a history of the lions and challenge to go back through the book to find clues about that history left behind by the author. My favorite thing about this book is the realization that this trip is not an isolated occurrence.

This is a wonderful way to engage children to tell their own story and would be a terrific introduction to a trip to New York.… (més)

Patience and Fortitude, the stone lions who guard the New York Public Library building at 42nd Street, have a magical nighttime adventure in this wordless picture-book. Making their way to Coney Island, they experience all of the excitement and fun of that famous amusement park, before returning again to their home in front of Astor Hall. Here they are welcomed back by the librarian, who reads them some bedtime stories...

Having recently read another picture-book about this leonine pair - Josh Funk's Lost in the Library: A Story of Patience & Fortitude - I was curious to see what I would make of Jessica M. Boehman's Lions at Night, which is her debut contribution to the form. All in all, I found it an appealing title, with an entertaining magical premise, a fun setting - readers looking for other Coney Island stories might also want to consider Mike Curato's Little Elliot, Big Fun - and visually engaging artwork. The illustrations here were eye-catching, with a judicious mixture of black & white and colorful elements. I think my favorite scene was the one in which Patience and Fortitude are roaring on the roller coaster - their faces were just so expressive there! I don't know that this one really blew me away, and there were moments where I found the artwork a little flat, but it is certainly an auspicious beginning, and I would be curious to see more work from Boehman. Recommended to young children visiting either the NYPL's research library at 42nd Street, or Coney Island.… (més)