Title: Cozy Light, Cozy Night
Author & Illustrator: Elisa Kleven
Publisher: Creston Books
Reviewer: Yolanda Ridge
ISBN: 978-193954-7206
This beautiful rhyming picture book takes readers on a ride through the seasons, starting and ending with the world peacefully turning and stars reliably twinkling, while we are tucked in bed safe and cozy for the night. At every time of year, readers are treated to a feast of seasonal food, comfortable places, and everyday wonders.
Cozy Light, Cozy Night is not a book that is meant to be read by children themselves. It is a book that is meant to be shared and through such sharing emotional bonds can be built and reading comprehension can be improved. There are definitions to be discussed, such as bowers (one of a few words clearly chosen for their rhyme) and feelings to be explored such as what cozy means at different times and places.
Initially, some of the rhythm and rhyme are a bit awkward. Try saying “softly falling snow crochets a coverlet of lace” five times fast (or even once, slowly, without tripping over the line.) But the words do fold themselves into a smooth pattern once they are read aloud several times – which they are bound to be. This is a book that children will demand over and over again for the warm, cuddling feeling it provokes through vibrant imagery.
It is really the detailed, bold color illustrations that make Cozy Light, Cozy Night special. The cover shows a family of five cuddling on the bed, warmly inviting the reader to get cozy, snuggle up, and crack open the book. From there we are transported from one comfortable, beautiful scene to another, all rich in emotion and sensory detail. One of my favorites is the picture of a dad sewing at an old fashioned machine, scissors and fabric littering the ground, while kids lick ice cream cones and swing in the background. It’s an image that perfectly compliments the accompanying line “cozy sunhats, stitched and sewn, ice cream’s cozy in a cone.”
This book is the place to go when kids need comfort – whether it’s a bedtime story or a tool you turn to in times of trouble and stress. A welcome addition to the book shelf.