The Night Is Yours by Abdul-Razak Zachariah
Published: July 2019
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
It’s summertime and Amani and her friends are having fun playing under the light of the full moon that shines down so bright on the courtyard that is nestled in the center of their building. They play games like double Dutch and hide-and-seek with breaks in between to gaze at the splendor of the constellations as they call them out by name, while music floats on the cool breeze at the end of a hot, hot day. The moon is happy, the children are bursting with giggles, and the night belongs to them. It’s a perfect summer evening; one that is nostalgic of my own childhood.
Abdul-Razak Zachariah’s debut, The Night is Yours, is a treat because there are so few picture books that feature characters who live in an apartment building and I think it is important because every child’s experience matters. The dwellings we call home and the communities we grow up in shape us, nurture us and propel us towards our aspirations. I am glad that Abdul-Razak Zachariah chose to center their adventure in this space. This is a debut picture book that is worth adding to your collection as I will mine.
Keturah A. Bobo (who also illustrated I am Enough – by Grace Byers) brought each character to life with such beautiful brilliance, both in color and texture. I adored the representation of all manner of shades of mocha and tan. And I appreciated the hair. Its coil, its style, and its accuracy. It makes me excited for the children who will read this book and see themselves. I am certain that Keturah A. Bobo will have a long career as an artist and I can’t wait to see what picture book she illustrates next.
The Night is Yours. A good read for a cool summer night for readers and families of children in preschool through 2nd grade.
Shout-Outs
Abdul-Razak Zachariah | https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/566609/the-night-is-yours-by-abdul-razak-zachariah-illustrated-by-keturah-a-bobo/9780525552710/
Keturah A. Bobo | https://www.harpercollins.com/author/cr-129296/keturah-a-bobo/
Keturah A. Bobo Interviewed on The Brown Bookshelf by Jerry Craft| https://thebrownbookshelf.com/28days/day-15-keturah-a-bobo/
Dial Books for Young Readers
An Imprint of Penguin Random House LLC
https://www.penguin.com/publishers/dialbooksforyoungreaders/Borrowed from the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library
Find The Night is Yours at your local indie bookstore: 
CeCeLibrarian’s Book Blog 
One comment