The Night Walker [Hardcover]

The dark can seem full of hidden threats, especially if you believe in monsters. In The Night Walker, an exquisite picture book by the author-illustrator partnership that created The Follower and Who, a Native boy walking alone at night imagines that a spirit known as the Night Walker is after him. In rhythmic prose that begs to be read aloud, Richard Thompson describes how the young boy "went exploring late one afternoon" with his "knobbly stick" and a pouch "to collect his treasures in." On his travels through field and forest, he finds and puts into his pouch a nail and three coins; a smooth, green rock and a piece of wood shaped like a running man; an eagle's feather and a spray of sweet-breath leaves. He doesn't notice the sun going down until it's too late. On his way home through the dark he suddenly hears "a clinking sound / a clicking sound / a rustling sound . . . / very close by."

Martin Springett's swirling illustrations give luminous form to the boy's fearful imaginings as he gradually becomes convinced that the clinking, clicking, rustling sounds following him belong to "one of those creatures in the stories that told you to never-go-out-in-the-night-alone." Thompson's reassuring ending strongly hints that the Night Walker was to be found in the boy's own pouch all along. (As his mother says, "sometimes the monster you hear behind you in the dark is only the clink and click and rustle of the things you have collected during the day.") But this accomplished and lyrical storyteller allows young readers to make up their own minds about the ultimate existence of the supernatural. (Ages 4 to 8) --Lisa Alward

Grade 1-4-During his countryside explorations, a boy gathers treasures such as a nail, stone, and feather, which he places in his pouch. As the sun sets, he hurries toward home, but he hears clicking and rustling sounds behind him. His imagination conjures up creatures that are ever more frightening until he races to escape the sharp-clawed Night Walker, stumbles, falls down, and eventually sleeps. When he returns home the following day, his mother speculates that the sounds had come from the treasure pouch. The boy remains uncertain. Springett's panoramic color illustrations are particularly effective in evoking the creatures that the boy conjures up. Fox, panther, and bear give way to a huge bird that fills the sky. Although no source notes indicate a tie to folk literature, the mother and son appear to be Native American. The suspenseful tone relieved by a logical explanation and the sweeping art recall an earlier Thompson-Springett collaboration, The Follower (Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2000). This time, however, Springett uses more color, and the ending is a bit more ambiguous. The combination of large, intriguing illustrations and an air of mystery offers read-aloud and discussion potential.
Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

K-Gr. 3. With his walking stick and pouch for found treasures, a boy explores the woods around his home. He finds a beautiful rock, coins, and a wonderful piece of wood. Suddenly, it's starting to get dark. As he heads home, he hears "a clinking sound, / a clicking sound, / a rustling sound . . . / very close by" that starts when he walks and stops when he stops. What could it be? A fox? A bear? Maybe it's the fearful Night Walker of "never-go-out-in-the-night-alone" stories. Even when the boy is finally back home with his mother, and the source of the noise seems simply explained, he still wonders. Though not identified as such, this lyrical book has the look and feel of an Indian legend brought into recent times, and it works as both an intriguing mystery and a sympathetic picture of night fears. The narrative effectively employs repetition and alliteration, which add suspense, and lovely, textured, earth-toned art blends realism, abstract forms, and changing perspectives to show how imagination can create, interpret, and even exaggerate the ordinary into extraordinary. Try this as a dramatic read-aloud for an older storytime crowd. Shelle Rosenfeld
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

"Thompson uses a spare, rhythmic prose style to create a mood of mystery and suspense...The author builds the suspense masterfully, bringing his story to a close in a way which leaves plenty of room for discussion and speculation. Springett's sweeping and stylized paintings match the mood of the tale wonderfully, often employing exaggeration of size to depict the young boy's imaginative landscape. Fox, bear, panther and the dreaded Night Walker are all drawn larger than life. Thompson's text is that of a good storyteller - simple, rhythmic and dramatic. Elementary teachers and librarians should find The Night Walker a successful read aloud. It will be a welcome addition to the elementary library's collection of mythical beast tales and of First Nations' folklore."

- CM Magazine

a deceptively simple fable the scourge of free-floating fear that never dips into the simplistic. Not only do the words resonate with enviable charm, the drawings are equally awe-inspiring.

- The Hamilton Spectator

"Beautiful and evocative illustrations make this story of a boy's adventures lost in the forest, chased by imaginary fears that disappear with the day, come to life."

- Burnaby Now

"A boy collects and stores treasures in a pouch while exploring the outdoors. When night falls, the boy realizes he is far from home and starts to head back. Peaceful night sounds serenading him turn to clinking, clicking, and rustling sounds, which begin to frighten him. He decides that the unsettling sounds must be coming from The Night Walker, a most-feared creature with long, sharp claws who carries a boy-catching sack. In this cautionary tale, Springett's sweeping illustrations create varying moods through the use of different colour hues. Throughout the story, the illustrator creates differing levels of tension by changing the respective sizes of the characters."

- Canadian Bookseller

Winner of the Ruth Schwartz Award for Illustration, 2003

Nominated for the Shining Willow Award, 2003

Late one afternoon a young Native boy goes exploring over the hills and through the forests beyond his home. At his side, he carries a walking stick and a pouch in which to place interesting objects he finds along the way. But as his pouch fills with treasure and he travels farther from home, the boy begins to hear something strange-a clinking, clicking, rustling sound that seems to be following right along behind him.

Now the boy has a stick, so he can chase away a wild dog or a fox. But what if the sound is a panther...or even a bear? The boy walks faster and faster. The sound gets louder and louder. Terrified, the boy realizes what must be making the terrible sound-the Night Walker! The Night Walker has long, sharp claws and carries a sack to trap all the foolish boys who wander alone at night. Has the dreaded creature come to snatch the boy away? Or could it be something else that has been following him all along? A powerful story with a satisfying ending that will elicit great sighs of relief.

Author Richard Thompson weaves a tale of mystery and suspense with characteristically skillful, rhythmic prose. Martin Springett's sweeping, stylized artwork captures the sense of danger without taking its young audience too far. This is another fine collaboration from the author and illustrator of the best-selling title, The Follower.

Richard Thompson's works have earned him a Mr. Christie's Book Award Silver Seal and a Governor General's Award nomination. A popular touring author and storyteller, Richard lives with his wife and daughter in Prince George, British Columbia.

Martin Springett has earned the Aurora Award for Fantasy and Science Fiction Illustration, and the CLA's Notable designation. Also an accomplished musician, Martin lives in Toronto, Ontario, with his wife and two daughters.