Night Animals

Night Animals written and illustrated by Gianna Marino (Scholastic Australia) HB RRP $24.99 ISBN: 9781761643491

Reviewed by Kellie Nissen

Did you hear something?

There are all sorts of noises we hear in the night when almost everything is asleep and the world is quiet. It can be a little scary. But have you ever wondered if the things making those night noises are just as scared?

This question is the premise for Night Animals, which follows a growing group of nocturnal animals who are fearful of the ‘night animals’ – not realising that they too are ‘night animals’.

It’s possum who starts it all, and with him being so small, you can sort of understand his fear – but does that provide bear with an excuse? Author Gianna Marino uses this storyline to gently explore fear and how it can affect everybody differently; however, as a ‘small creature’ myself, it is somewhat satisfying that bat seems to be the most sensible of the night animal’s crew.

Told entirely through simple dialogue between the animals, with bold character illustrations against a pitch-black background, the story really draws the reader into the night scenes as you feel like you are right there – wide-eyed and staring – with the animals. That being said, I am most thankful that the story is not completely immersive, given that a skunk is part of the crew. Poor possum.

Perfect for young readers from 3 to 7 years of age, Night Animals is a humorous look at things that go bump in the night. A very enjoyable read that I can see becoming a firm bedtime story favourite in some households.