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Barbara DaCosta and Ed Young, the famed duo who brought the world MIGHTY MOBY and NIGHTTIME NINJA, have just published their third picture book together! NIGHT SHADOWS releases today from Seven Stories Press. Ed Young is a Caldecott Medalist and longtime client of McIntosh & Otis.
The third collaboration between Young and DaCosta tells the story of a lonely girl who finds an unlikely friend in her elderly neighbor.
Each night kids have been creeping around and spray painting houses in Tasha’s neighborhood. Two days in a row, her neighbor Mrs. Lucy awakes to find graffiti outside her home. Tasha helps her paint over it. They discover that they are alike, except for their age, and become inseparable. But who keeps defacing Mrs. Lucy’s house? Ed Young’s inimitable cut-out art sensitively conveys the characters’ emotions and the drama of the story: as the truth is discovered, the houses become multicolored, but the characters remain faceless. Then when the miscreants are revealed, Tasha’s and Mrs. Lucy’s faces become visible. A subtle expression of recognition on both…
This nuanced story shows young readers that honesty and respect are the most important elements for friendship.
With Night Shadows, Caldecott Medal-winner Ed Young’s oneiric illustrations and Barbara DaCosta’s introspective narrative jointly reproduce the intensity with which a child experiences solitude and companionship.
PRAISE FOR NIGHT SHADOWS:
“Conversations about motivations and actions will abound as children absorb the impact of grace.” –Kirkus, starred review
“This book is a gift for anyone, child or adult, who has ever needed a true friend in a rough world.” —Elisa Kleven, author of The Lion and the Little Red Bird
Purchase this touching story from your local indie or these retailers: Penguin Random House, Seven Stories Press, Barnes & Noble.
We congratulate Ed and Barbara! Ed Young is a Caldecott medalist and longtime client of McIntosh & Otis. Visit his website for more information on his art and books. Learn more about children’s writer Barbara DaCosta at her website and blog.