When a little girl lays awake after bedtime, her father suggests a walk. "I had been out after dark before, but this time was different. We were going out just to be out. And it was just Dad and me." The nocturnal stroll takes the two of them, who appear white, through their diverse neighborhood, where lighted windows provide views unseen during the day. She's surprised by the number of people out and about, and the variety of small yet significant moments on display. The warm glow from streetlights and spilling out of windows, framed by a dark blue star-speckled sky, imparts a sense of community and belonging to this father and daughter's nighttime outing. (Ages 3-7)

A child explores her neighborhood on a late-night walk with her dad, finding delight and comfort in moments of quiet and the warm windows into other people’s lives.

When a little girl can’t sleep one night, her dad asks if she’d like to go for a walk. They tiptoe through the silent house and step out into the dark.

It’s strange and exciting to be out so late. Walking down the street, the girl can see inside the lit-up windows of apartment buildings and houses where people’s lives are unfolding. Kids are having a pillow fight in one house, while a family has gathered for a festive meal in another. She and her dad reach the still-busy shopping area, walking past restaurants and enticing store windows, then stop for a tranquil moment in the park before returning home.

Sara O’Leary has captured a child’s nighttime wonder as she explores her neighborhood and comes to the comforting realization that she belongs. Ellie Arscott’s illustrations, luminous and rich in color, perfectly complement the story.

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.6
Identify who is telling the story at various points in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.1
Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.