Caroline Woodward

A young girl narrates the story of her long walk to catch the schoolbus in this lovely wintertime picture-book from author Caroline Woodward and illustrator Julie Morstad. The tale is told in rhyme, and chronicles the early morning darkness through which the girl must travel, and the noises and sights that frighten her. Fortunately, she is able to sing away the dark - to sing away her fear...

Although I wouldn't describe the text as particularly memorable, I did find the narrative of Singing Away the Dark quite engaging, and appreciated the central idea of using song to conquer one's fears. The artwork, on the other hand, is simply gorgeous, and won me over completely. Morstad makes excellent use of the white space on her page - appropriately enough, given the wintry setting - and the resulting contrast between the snowy vistas and the other elements (the trees, the girl, etc.) is powerfully realized. My favorite scene was undoubtedly the one (partially captured on the cover of the book) in which the girl walks through the birch trees. Recommended to anyone who loves beautiful picture-book art, or who is looking for stories about winter and/or children conquering their fears.… (més)