Author: Karen Hesse
Illustrator: G. Brian Karas
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2018
Age: 4-8
Themes: Fathers and sons, night work , nighttime
Opening: On Friday nights, when the sun goes down, I snap the clips shut on Dad’s lunchbox and climb onto the back of his bike.
Summary: (from my library catalog) What is it like to work at night, while the rest of the city is asleep? Newbery Medalist Karen Hesse’s quietly powerful story of a boy and his father is tenderly brought to life by G. Brian Karas in this luminous tribute to an enduring, everyday sort of love.
I like this book because: employment is a part of life that each family deals with differently and yet is seldom discussed. In Night Job the images are evocative of what can make the night seem almost dream-like and magical, and the writing Is equally transportive – it would be a neat idea to read this a second time around with the listener’s eyes closed!
Resources/Activities: talk about jobs, regular hours, night shifts, and different forms of employment; discuss the pros and cons of these different forms; what do kids in school think of their ‘jobs’ as students, the hours, and ‘time off’?
For more Perfect Picture Book Friday picks with teacher/parent resources, check out the list on Susanna Hill’s blog HERE