By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: July 25, 2008
By Ella Burfoot
Reading level: Ages 3-6
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Kingfisher (June 10, 2008)
Darkness Slipped In, immediately caught my eye with it’s illustrations – it’s not often that you see a picture book with a black cover. Typically black is not a color that creates a cheery first impression, yet Ella Burfoot manages to set a fun mood right from the front cover. Darkness is a slick and shiny fellow complete with a high-gloss finish that makes him stand out on the page and really appeal to the senses. When he slips in through a window in Daisy’s bedroom we instantly realize that Daisy is not afraid of the dark – in fact Darkness is actually a very charming guy. They play together, dance a “funky twist“, and sip lemonade from tea cups until bedtime, at which point Darkness fills the page, snuggles in close to Daisy and comforts her to sleep.
The combination of rhyming text, bold illustrations (black, white and hot pink are the main colors used), the gloss finish of Darkness, and Burfoot’s clever ability to create a story based on fear, yet never actually label it, make this a wonderful book for any child afraid of the dark.
Add this book to your collection: Darkness Slipped In