A wordless book that celebrates a child’s imaginative freedom.

A little girl falls asleep and in her dream becomes a huge gray wolf, like the one in her bedtime story. Out the window she leaps, and a marvelous nighttime adventure unfolds. She visits the rooster in his coop, and invites him to hop upon her back and together they run through the night. A reindeer joins in the fun, until the three are suddenly stopped in their tracks by a giant dazzling star. The reindeer climbs upon the wolf, and the rooster upon the reindeer to reach the star, then they carry it home, where it brings all kinds of light to the little girl’s world.

This vibrantly illustrated wordless picture book is a celebration of the inspiration and freedom to be found in stories, dreams and the imagination.

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.1
With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.2
With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.3
With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.7
With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear (e.g., what moment in a story an illustration depicts).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.9
With prompting and support, compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories.

Geraldo Valério was born in Brazil, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Drawing, followed by a Master of Arts at New York University. His many highly acclaimed books include My Book of Birds (described in Booklist as “striking and beautiful”); At the Pond (two starred reviews); Friends (one starred review); Blue Rider (two starred reviews); Turn On the Night (three starred reviews) and The Egg (two starred reviews). His work has been published in many countries, including Canada, the US, Brazil, Portugal, France, the UK and China. Geraldo lives in Toronto.

Geraldo Valério's profile page

This is an eye-pleasing and dream-dazzling delight for bedtime or anytime.

School Library Journal

It's a simple, but magical, plot … [Valério] captures with a seeming ease the euphoria of dreams of flight, as well as the cryptic nature of dreams, even ones that leave you with a smile on your face.

Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast

A giddy sense of possibility permeates this enchanting wordless story.

Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW

Very highly recommended for young readers ages 4 to 8, Turn On The Night is a vibrantly illustrated wordless picture book and a joyous celebration of the inspiration and freedom to be found in stories, dreams and the imagination.

Midwest Book Review

Turn on the Night embraces the imaginative potentials of wordless literature and the magical enchantment of the nighttime world of dreams.

CM Magazine

Valério's stylized imagery … grounds the narrative with a folk-like simplicity, which contrasts with the story's abstracted, supernatural sweep.

Horn Book, STARRED REVIEW

Valério’s illustrations communicate emotion while celebrating the power of imagination and visual storytelling.

International Literacy Association

It is hard to choose a favorite among the illustrations, which use composition, form, and color to full advantage to animate the three animals and spin a magical tale. More than a bedtime story: a treat from a masterful artist.

Kirkus, STARRED REVIEW