The following review was contributed by: Lily Azerad-Goldman Artist and Author

Every once in a while, a diamond sparkles on top of the slush pile. I LOVE THE NIGHT authored and illustrated by University of Missouri-Columbia creative writing graduate, Dar Hosta is one of these rare finds.

Her spare writing and little details sparkle with wit and warmth. In a language geared to a young audience, she awakens nightly creatures. Her use of double adjectives: “ marvelously marvelous - delightfully delightful” emphasize her marvel at the beauties of the night. Under the blue glow of the moon, you become acquainted with all kinds of earthly creatures from fireflies, crickets, a giant octopus, frogs, raccoons, to of course an owl.

The book’s illustrations are a real showcase of an amazing talent. Combining collage, oil pastel, colored pencil and a digital graphics tablet, she has created brilliant scenes and fantastic creatures that nearly leap off the page. Every page is a labor of love, although my favorite spreads are the frog and the raccoon.

A fun thing to experiment with children is to have them try and guess what material Dar Hosta has used for her collages. For example, the moon (and here I am guessing!) is made of lint sheets for the dryer. Also the frog collage could be made of kitchen paper towels among other found objects.

Dar Hosta’s art in I LOVE THE NIGHT dominates the book giving it a quality that will attract young and older readers alike. I LOVE THE NIGHT is a true diamond on your child’s night table that will indeed make for a sweet dreamy night. No wonder this book has earned the Teachers Choice Award Learning Magazine for the Family 2004!

You can check out more about Dar Hosta by clicking HERE