Author: Brian Barlics
Illustrator: Gregory Burgess Jones
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
ISBN: 978-1-61296-195-8

“Now things were not much better when the sun had left the sky. While the other bats were up and ready, Brady felt the urge to cry. The night was also scary with no lights to be found. Brady trembled, shook, and shivered. He jumped at every sound.” Brian Barlics writes in his first of the Fundamentale series children’s book, Brady Needs a Nightlight.

This unnumbered thirty-two page square eight inch paperback book is geared toward ages three years old and above. With minor scary scenes such as dark caves or spooky sounds in a forest, the innocuous read helps children deal with their fear of the dark. A pediatrician by day, writer by night, it is the author’s first children’s book, dedicated to his wife and three children. First time children’s book illustrator Gregory B. Jones does a good job showing simple yet expressive cut-out overlaid images on almost all dark backgrounds on every page with small, mostly white font wording that easily stands out.

Set to short one to two rhyming sentences per page, Brady is a young bat who does not like the dark or sleeping upside down in a cave. When it is sunny outside, his friends are cozily tucked in the cave, happily napping while Brady wishes he was outside playing in the sunshine. The truth is that Brady is afraid of the dark and the cave gives him the creeps.

When he does venture outside at nighttime, it is too dark with no light and strange sounds, further making him afraid and alone. The only thing that makes Brady unafraid is the lights on the tails of the tiny fireflies the flitter around him. Brady invites these curious creatures to hold on to his big ears to guide him along in the dark.

Of course, the fireflies love flying on Brady’s ears and he loves that he has new friends who play with him in the night air. In the end, he asks his mother if he can invite the insects into the cave to keep him company. No longer afraid, Brady hangs upside down and happily goes to sleep.

With the fun rhyming of the tome, the simplistic illustrations against the darkness and the storyline about being afraid of the dark, any fearful child will love reading this charming, cute and creative yarn that builds confidence and assurance and perhaps an interest in bats and fireflies’ habits, while looking forward to the next one in the series.

This book was furnished by the author for review purposes.

Follow Here To Purchase Brady Needs a Nightlight

Check Out Some Great Deals On Amazon.com