On Grimloch Lane a tree topiary shows up one morning: the leaves have been clipped to resemble an owl. I wish I were still teaching Kindergarten so I could read it to my class. Wow! This is one of my favorite picture books I have seen in a long time. A likely suspect for many best picture books lists later in the year. The Fans combine luxuriant, detailed illustrations with a whimsical story to create a picture book that is sure to be a hit with readers of all ages. The arc of the story is reminiscent of Daniel Pinkwater's classic The Big Orange Splot, another book that slowly brings color and individuality to a decidedly beige town. This is a charming picture book in the tradition of Grandpa Green by Lane Smith and The Curious Garden by Peter Brown. The weight of color used throughout The Night Gardener also highlights the effect of each topiary on the town as more and more heavy color is used in each spread until, at the end of the story, the illustrations are full-color. The Fan Brothers even differentiate between day and night with a subtle blue hue overlaying each evening illustration. Soft, washed out colors in the beginning of the book contrast sharply with the vivid greens used for each new topiary.

The Night Gardener makes full use of its large size with big full-page spreads of artwork throughout the book. Soon, William begins working with the night gardener to create more beautiful trees and help change his town forever in The Night Gardener (2016) by The Fan Brothers (Eric and Terry Fan). Soon after more wonderful topiaries begin appearing in the neighborhood.Įager to find out the secrets behind these wondrous creations, William sneaks out after dark to discover the night gardener at work. William doesn't know what to think when the tree outside his window is transformed into an owl topiary overnight. I can't believe this is a debut book! I suspect we will be seeing a lot more from the Fan brothers. In this case, the whole town was transformed! The lesson is lovely- anyone has the power to make someone's day a little brighter. I love that it is about an ordinary town-turned extraordinary overnight thanks to this mysterious guest. One night, young William spots a stranger sneaking away into the cover of darkness- could it be the Night Gardener?Īs I was reading this book, it reminded me of the magical qualities found in some of Tim Burton's movies (specifically Big Fish- whimsical, full of color, etc). This continues day after day, tree after tree- each being transformed into something beautiful.

Summary: One day in the perfectly ordinary town of Grimloch, the residents awoke to find someone had trimmed a tree into the shape of an owl! Everyone was shocked, intrigued, and curious as to who could have done such a thing. There is no doubt in my mind that this book has the makings to be a classic.

The night gardener picture book