Module 1/Introduction to Children's Literature and Classic Children's Literature/June 2-June 8

On the Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman

Tillman, N.  (2005).  On the night you were born.  New York:  Feiwel and Friends.

Summary

On the night a baby is born, nature runs wild with happiness.  Polar bears dance, geese fly, and the wind whispers the name of the baby.  Nature is sure to remind the baby how special he is each time he forgets it. 

My Impression

I absolutely loved this beautiful book.  What I love most about it is how special it can make a child feel, especially if they forget it as children sometimes do.  I love that everyone and everything celebrate the birth of the child, a miracle in itself.  It is told in such a beautiful way.  The miracle of a baby is celebrated in this book and that is why I enjoyed it so much.

Reviews

"...New parents and grandparents will get teary as they celebrate with the author the wonder and marvel that is their newborn baby, while young listeners will be thrilled at being the center of creation's attention..."  

(2010, May 20).  [Review of the book On the night you were born].  Kirkus Reviews.  Retrieved 

      from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/nancy-tillman/on-the-night-you-were-

      born/.

"...Tillman successfully sidesteps the soft-focus sappiness that can accompany this genre. Her writing has the authenticity of whispered conversation; occasionally, she pauses in her exaltations of the baby to address the subject directly: ""I think I'll count to three so you can wiggle your toes for me."" Her strong, assured paintings truly set this book apart..." 

(2006, Oct. 16).  [Review of the book On the night you were born].  Publisher's Weekly.   

      Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-312-34606-5.

Suggestions for Use

*The librarian could read the book to a group of children and they can tell the group what was so special about the day they were born.

*Children can act out what they think the animals did on the day they were born.