THE SOUND OF DAY, THE SOUND OF NIGHT

Jabar illustrates two of O’Neill’s early poems with vivid images from dawn to dark. In the first, morning begins with a father helping his children get ready to catch the school bus, as the busy sounds of day unfold and conclude with the return of momma with a new baby. Pastel illustrations convey warmth within a family and beyond to the community. Noisy daytime words conjure indelible impressions conveying sounds: “clatter,” “whirring,” “crackle.” Energetic forms move through the day and into night, building a contrast between morning and evening, bright and dark, bustling and calm. In the second poem, characters fill the night with “whispering,” “tiptoe,” “squeakings,” and “snores.” The poetry concludes as night and snow fall. Palette and form echo the gentle tone of the poetry. Round figures enclosed in ellipses, rectangles, circles, move forward with diagonals and curving lines. Illustrations filled with familial love create an early opportunity for a reading ritual replete with the best examples of onomatopoetic text. (Picture book. 3-6)