Firefly Night

by Carole Gerber

Book Overview

A young Chippewa girl follows a firefly as it reveals the secrets of the night, the many creatures that share her forest home, on her way to sleep. Inspired by Longfellow's Song of Hiawatha. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1580890660
• ISBN13: 9781580890663
• Release Date: July 2000
• Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 8.5" x 11.0"
• Age Range: 5 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

Firefly Night as a children's bedtime story

Jennifer L. Woodward, Clemson UniversityGalbraith, Mary. "Goodnight Nobody Revisited: Using an Attachment Perspective to Study Picture Books about Bedtime." Children's Literature Association Quarterly, Vol 23 (1998-99) 172-179. Landes, Susan. "Picture Books as Literature." Children's Literature Association Quarterly, Vol 18 (1996-97) 51-54. Gerber, Carole. Firefly Night. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge Publishing, 2000. Firefly Night, written by Carole Gerber, is a Native American bedtime story which was inspired by lines from Longfellow's Hiawatha. It tells the story of a young Chippewa girl who follows the light of the firefly to the cradle where she sleeps. On the way to her cradle, the firefly lights up the forest to show the girl the many animals that make their home in the forest. Firefly Night uses soothing words and beautiful illustrations to succeed in its purpose of being a wonderful bedtime story for all children. Bedtime stories of all kinds have long held a purpose in children's literature. According to the social practice and clinical theory mentioned in Galbraith's article, bedtime stories help children to become accustomed to, "being separated from their parents at night," and train them to, "soothe themselves when they are distressed" (173). According to Galbraith, Firefly Night would qualify as a dismissive type of bedtime story. Dismissive books depict a, "kind, safe, but distant holding environment, in which attachment figures are dismissive of the child's need for physical contact at night" (174). In Firefly Night, the young girl trusts the firefly to lead her through the forest and to the safe cradle where she sleeps. An adult figure is only shown once in the background. This story shows a completely independent child putting herself to sleep with only the help of the forest animals. In this way, it is much like the 1985 children's book, When I'm Sleepy, in that it uses a protective animal presence in place of a parental figure (Galbraith 178). Illustration is also an important aspect of Firefly Night. Landes states that, "One role of pictures in a picture book is to enhance the meaning of a story by illustrating the words" (51). Mary Husted, the illustrator of Firefly Night, completely succeeds in enhancing this story. The watercolors used throughout the book have a calming, almost dreamlike effect, and Husted paid special attention to her use of color. In the beginning, Husted uses pinks and oranges to simulate a beautiful sunset at dusk. The scene gradually transitions into evening, and Husted uses purples and blues to show the night sky. This is much more tranquil than using dark blues and blacks, which appear dark and threatening. The animals in the forest appear calming rather than frightening. Each animal seems to have a soft smile on its face, and these animals act as guardians as they follow the girl to her cradle. Even the snake, which often represents danger, appears relaxed with its he