CBR15Passport New Author
Two Nahuatl traditions are given a new twist in Ancient Night. But I was not aware of that until after finishing it. I was assuming when I picked up this picture book (and that was because the cover was intriguing) it would be an adaptation of a folk tale, but not which people. And I came away with thinking, “Oh, well, that’s nice. Different. Do I like it?” This is not a onetime read or a book to read quickly. I did enjoy David Alverez’s illustrations from the start, but the text of David Bowels was not grabbing me. Therefore, I know this needs a second read by me and when you do your first read, be comfortable, and make sure you are ready for an experience title.
The story is how the opossum and rabbit created things. There is stealing of the moon, the rabbit on the moon and much more. There is (as publisher description says) carefully researched backmatter. This allows the picture book to be adapted to all ages. The story itself is for the at least five and up crowd for listening, but the younger group can enjoy the artwork. It is not something that everyone will like, but I think there is something for everyone.
I am not sure if this would work well for a group reading, but one-on-one would work well. It might win a few awards, but I am not sure if it will become a classic. I do know, however, that it will be a book that when your child is an adult they will be looking for that “rabbit book” they read a as a kid.