Night in the Country

By: Cynthia Rylant

Illustrated: Mary Szilagyi

This story is spooky-not scary, but spooky. I'm writing this alone at home thinking about what may be lurking outside my front door. Of course, I live in a city-not the country. The story is exactly what the title says: a night in the country. The tone of the story is very quiet, serene even. I can actually imagine myself going to sleep in a bed, in a house, in the country. The weather is warm. It's summer. The windows are open and I'm lying in my bed listening to the sounds the author is describing. It's very peaceful and again spooky. You're not scared, but you know that far off in the distance, there are creatures around. At one point in the story, the author instructs the reader to "listen." Then, the next page, "pump!" An apple falls from the tree and if you're really engaged in the text, you can "hear" the apple falling.

The illustrations are wonderful. They are very clear, but dark at the same time to go along with the nighttime theme. This would be a great story to read aloud to students and have them close their eyes as you read each page. Then, have students describe what they see, hear, and feel. Then, you can reread the story and let them look at the pictures. This provides a great opportunity for students to focus on imagery.