Lucy likes to go to sleep with the soft glow of a nightlight.

Her mum begins to suggest she might not need it any more, but Lucy insists she does.

“The Dark is very Dark.”

One night, Mum switches off her lamp and closes her bedroom door. The night fills her room. But wait… can she can hear breathing?

“Hello?”

Something replies, but Lucy isn’t scared because the voice sounds so sad.

The something is The Dark. They feel sad because everyone is scared of them and wants them to go away. Everyone shuts The Dark in cupboards and away out of sight. This makes them sad and lonely.

Lucy begins to talk to The Dark and soon any fears are long gone. They have a wonderful time chatting and she invites The Dark back again the next night. The Dark has an even better idea, inviting Lucy on an adventure where The Dark loves to hang out. They have a wonderful time.

But all is not right at home when she’s away with her new friend. So many people and creatures are missing The Dark, and her mum misses Lucy most of all…

Such a clever picture book! This is the perfect story for anyone scared of the dark. Drawing empathy from the reader for a sad, lonely creature (The Dark), will allow readers (or young listeners), to see The Dark in a whole new way.

Lucy and The Dark also shows how important night time really is to not only ourselves but the animal world too. Where would we be without sleep? How would nocturnal animals survive?

Vasanti Unka’s distinctive style portrays the joy and wonder within The Dark brilliantly, then brings Lucy home again to her mother.

The glow in the dark elements on the front and back covers was a lovely surprise when I turned the light out over my desk. Children will love this after they have listened to this story and the bedroom lights go out.

Author – Melinda Szymanik

Illustrator – Vasanti Unka

Age – 3+

Picture Book

(2023, Penguin Random House NZ, New Zealand, Aotearoa, Wonder, Empathy, Scared of the Dark, Night time, Darkness, Fears, Adventure, Bedtime, Sleep, Nocturnal, Worries)