The Night Is Deep and Wide

In The Night Is Deep and Wide a young child comes inside from picking flowers and is lulled to sleep as the creatures around them settle in for the night. Written as a villanelle, a poetic form with nineteen lines and a strict pattern of repetition and rhyme scheme. The illustrations are predominantly black and white with a spot of color on each page. This, combined with the soothing cadence of the lullaby, makes The Night Is Deep and Wide an ideal first book for the youngest of readers, as newborns only see black, white and gray until around four months of age. Gillian Sze is the author of nine poetry collections including Peeling Rambutan, Redrafting Winter and Panicle, and has two more picture books forthcoming (Summer 2021 and Spring 2022).