Close Menu
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest LinkedIn YouTube TikTok
    • Home
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Advertise
    • Mentorship
    • Editing Services
    • About
    • Contact
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest TikTok
    The Children's Book Review
    Subscribe
    • Books by Subject
    • Books by Age
      • Ages 0-3, Infant and Toddler
      • Ages 4-8, Preschool to Elementary
      • Ages 9-12, Preteen and Tween
      • Ages 12+, Teen and Young Adult
      • Books for First Grade Readers
      • Books for Second Grade Readers
      • Books for Third Grade Readers
    • Favorites
      • Diverse and Inclusive Books
      • Books About Activism
      • Best Books for Kids
      • Star Wars Books
      • Board Books
      • Books About Mindfulness
      • Dr. Seuss Books
    • Showcase
    • Interviews
      • Growing Readers Podcast
      • Author Interviews and Q&A
      • Illustrator Interviews
    • Kids’ Book Giveaways
    • Directory
    • Podcast
    The Children's Book Review

    The Dark, by Lemony Snicket & Illustrated by Jon Klassen — Review

    Bianca SchulzeBy Bianca Schulze2 Mins Read Ages 4-8 Bedtime Books Best Sellers Books with Boy Characters Picture Books Social Emotional
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
    Published: April 2, 2013

    TheDarkThe Dark

    By Lemony Snicket; Illustrated by Jon Klassen

    Hardcover: 40 pages

    Age Range: 4-7

    Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (April 2, 2013)

    What to expect: Fears, Nighttime

    Both award winners for their work in children’s books, Lemony Snicket and Jon Klassen adeptly take on the universal childhood fear of darkness.

    Lazlo can’t sleep because he is afraid of the dark. Snicket, in his usual shrewd manner, has personified the darkness that lives in Lazlo’s home. During the day, the dark spends most of its time in the basement, waiting until night when it can “spread itself against the windows and doors of Lazlo’s house.” On the night that the dark visits Lazlo in his room, the young boy takes his trusty bedtime companion—a flashlight—and goes on a conquest that leads to an encounter with the bête noire. Snicket serves this story straight up using a punctilious formula that is vibrant in sound yet entirely cautious in pitch. Energy builds as the dark calls simply to Lazlo: “I want to show you something.” Using gouache and digital tools, Klassen’s illustrations have a gritty texture that seamlessly blends with the text, creating a deeper sensory experience. The subdued colors used for Lazlo’s face of concern, his adorable blue pajamas and everywhere the flashlight shines, offer the right amount of reassurance to young readers and are also a pitch-perfect contrast to the flatness of the ever-increasing black.

    When picking up this book, think less a story to squash a fear of darkness and more a story that will resonate with young readers and have them move closer toward embracing darkness. While sometimes eerie, Lazlo’s nightlight induced triumph is delivered with rhythm and beauty. Highly recommended.

    “Who Farted?” image © 2013 by Wes Tyrell
    The Dark image © 2013 by Jon Klassen

    Add this book to your collection: The Dark

    You may also like: Darkness Slipped In

     

    What to Read Next:

    1. Who Could That Be in This Interview? Daniel Handler or Lemony Snicket
    2. Where the Wild Things Are, 50th Anniversary
    3. Review: The Woods by Paul Hoppe
    4. Illustration Inspiration: Jeffrey Brown

    *Disclosure: Please note that this post may contain affiliate links that share some commission. Rest assured that these will not affect the cost of any products and services promoted here. Our team always provides their authentic opinion in all content published on this site.

    Fear Jon Klassen Lemony Snicket
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleBest Kids Stories: April 2013
    Next Article Forest Has a Song, by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater | Book Spotlight
    Bianca Schulze
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • X (Twitter)
    • LinkedIn

    Bianca Schulze is the founder of The Children’s Book Review. She is a reader, reviewer, mother and children’s book lover. She also has a decade’s worth of experience working with children in the great outdoors. Combined with her love of books and experience as a children’s specialist bookseller, the goal is to share her passion for children’s literature to grow readers. Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, she now lives with her husband and three children near Boulder, Colorado.

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    TCBR Supporter
    Recent Articles
    • Drawing Cute Animals Shape by Shape: Learn to Draw Over 100 Adorable Animals Step by Step | Dedicated Review
    • Tiny Bird, by Sabrina Edralin | Dedicated Review
    • I Don’t Think So!, by K. Joyner | Book Review
    • Pedal Pusher: How One Woman’s Bicycle Adventure Helped Change the World | Book Review
    • Bull & Bear Build a Bright Future with Bonds | Dedicated Review
    TCBR Supporters
    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today

    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today
    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today
    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today
    Discover Kids Books by Age
    Best Books For Kids
    Media Kit: The Children's Book Review
    Author and Illustrator Showcase
    SEARCH
    BOOKS BY SUBJECT
    Archives
    Professional Resources

    Book Marketing Campaigns

    Writing Coaches and Editing Services

    Mentorship

    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest YouTube LinkedIn TikTok
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Policies
    • Advertise
    • TCBR Buzzworthy Mentions
    • About TCBR
    © 2025 The Children’s Book Review. All rights reserved.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.