Hildilid's Night

Hildilid hated the night, and she did everything she could think of to be rid of it. From tying it up, to feeding it to her dog, to finally spitting at it in disgust, there was nothing she didn't try. Despite these efforts, the night remained indifferent and immovable, going nowhere. Until, that is, the coming of the dawn. Unfortunately for Hildilid, by that time she was worn out, going to bed and missing the bright day...

Originally published in 1971, Hildilid's Night won illustrator Arnold Lobel a Caldecott Honor in 1972, and it is not difficult to see why. The detailed pen and ink drawings have a magnetic quality, drawing the reader into their shadowy world. I loved the fine textures of Lobel's drawings here, and appreciated the humor show more and expressiveness of some of his scenes, such as when Hildilid and her dog sing lullabies to the night. The use of yellow, at the end, when the sun is coming up, was a nice touch. There is an element of gentle humor here, and if one is looking for a message, it might be that expending all one's energy worrying about what can't be changed robs a person of the ability to appreciate the blessings they do enjoy. Recommended to anyone looking for somewhat quirky, beautifully-illustrated bedtime books. show less

I think this story is truly highlighted by the amazing illustrations by Arnold Lobel. Probably not the best suited read fro young children as the majority of the book is black and white pencil and ink. But the use of the sun in the end was a great addition.
The story comically follows an old women over the course of the night as she try's to get rid of the dark. At some point she believes she has the power to tie the night up or stuff it in a woven bag. kids might find it humorous as Hildilid attempts these ridiculas ideas of capturing the night. And after all crazy ideas and hard work, she falls asleep just as the bright sun rises.

Hildilid is afraid of the night. Poor her.

So one night she tries *everything* to chase the night away - she spits at it, feeds it to her dog, ties it up, brews it, sings it a lullaby.... Of course, she can't - and, naturally, she falls asleep just as the sun comes up. (But she has to be rested tomorrow night, doesn't she?)

The illustrations are just detailed enough, and the text has a nice quiet humor to it.

This book is about a lady who is scared of the night so she tries to boil the night, sweep the night away, and even feed the night to her wolfhound. In the end, nothing works so she goes to bed just as the sun is coming up.

I believe this book would be good for elementary age students. The illustrations are remarkable as it won the Caldecott Honor. It was an easy read. This would be a good book to read during Halloween or even just to anyone who is maybe scared of the dark.

Illustrator Arnold Lobel makes this book worth reading.