When the sky glows by Nell Cross Beckerman, illustrated by David Litchfield

 I absolutely judged this book by its cover. How could you not want that glorious explosion of pink? It turned out to be a really nice informational book about light in nature, from sunset to sunrise, including the aurora borealis and more.

The picture book opens with a sparkling yellow-gold sky and navy blue field, studded with glowing plants, introducing the glory of sunrise. A red-headed white girl wakes up early and marches out to the fields on a traditional farm, complete with red barn and farmer raking in the field. A smaller paragraph explains why we see certain colors at sunrise. Paired images and simple text then go on to explore the lightning storms of Lake Maracaibo, rainbows in Hawaii, a solar eclipse, sunset at a watering hole, and more, ending with sunset in the city and a Black boy going to sleep in a high-rise apartment.

There are some unique views of different light sources, like a discussion of photography at sunset that accompanies the blinding fire of light at the watering hole, the science behind auroras, fireflies, and more. The back matter includes a brief list of sources and recommended reading and a note about light pollution.

The digital art is dazzling, if not absolutely realistic, glowing with shades of yellow, orange, pink and red, studded with sparking stars and points of light. Having grown up in Texas, where the sun can be blindingly harsh, I felt that even the pictures of full sun softened the effects, and although the pictures are glorious they do have something of a sameness about them, repeating the sparkling, bright effects on each page. However, despite these quibbles, this is a lovely blend of story and information and would fit in well not only with storytimes but also with art projects or class discussions.

Verdict: For a preschool or toddler storytime, pair this with songs and rhymes about the sun, moon, and stars and art projects with sparkling foil, glitter, or paint. For elementary school-aged classes, put this together with books talking about the science of light, light pollution, and nocturnal and diurnal animals. Art teachers could have a lot of fun with as well, even with older kids, playing with light and photography. A beautiful and versatile title, recommended for most library and school collections.

ISBN: 9781534450394; Published September 2022 by Beach Lane Books; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library