Chickadees At Night

At this point I am merely joining the chorus, the chickadee chorus that is.

Having heard its praises sung, or rather chirped high and low, I decided that it was well past time to take a good long look at local author Bill O. Smith's picture book "Chickadee's At Night" and let me tell you, I was more than rewarded. 

Following an initial posing of the deeply vexing question of what those cheeky chickadees do at night, Smith presents a lyricial and laughable series of rhyming follow up questions that take readers to all sorts of wonderous places and on all sorts of witty adventures. From a trip to the moon, to a hop, to a bed of birds snuggled eight deep. Smith's prose shrinks, grows, spins, and sings and most of all, pleases. 

Yet it is Charles R. Murphy's gorgeous and whimsical watercolor illustrations that truly bring this tale to life. Although every page could easily present a favorite, I was won over simply gazing at the cover depicting a brash bird with its mouth slightly agape and feathers streaming in the breeze as it rides a flying squirrel past the full moon.

"Chickadees at Night" really is one of those rare and fantastic picture books that manages to be fun, clever, and beautiful while prompting imagination, questions, and learning. And as the book itself states, "if you love beauty, the natural world, tickled tummies and family snuggles then this book is certainly for you."