The Night Tent - by Landis Blair

About the Book

Watson is having trouble sleeping when he notices a mysterious light coming from under his covers which leads him down a path through a forest and onto a magical adventure.

Book Synopsis

A boy struggling to fall asleep peeks beneath his covers to find a world filled with nighttime adventures under a starry, tented sky.

Watson is having trouble sleeping. He lies awake at night, doing his best not to think about the lurking, creeping things that might be hiding in his closet or under his bed. But the more he tries, the harder it gets.

Then he notices a mysterious light coming from under his covers. When he takes a pee­k he discovers a beautiful, tented night sky full of twinkling stars. And because he isn't sleepy, he follows a path the stars show him. It leads him through a forest and onto an adventure that includes friendly creatures and a magical trolly ride to a tiny island with a very tall tower--and finally, sleep.

Landis Blair is the author and illustrator of The Envious Siblings and Other Morbid Nursery Rhymes, as well as the illustrator of the New York Times bestseller From Here to Eternity by Caitlin Doughty and the graphic novel The Hunting Accident by David Carlson. His quirky and wonderful work is perfect for fans of Edward Gorey. With his debut picture book, The Night Tent, he celebrates the exploration of imagination and possibility that becomes so potent in the late hours of the night.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Review Quotes

★ "Blair serves us a gentler take on Where the Wild Things Are. . . . The artwork in this imaginative bedtime tale will captivate little ones with its peculiar, dreamlike details. It also sidesteps being scary, offering comfort in the wonders that the night can bring."--Booklist, Starred Review

"Blair offers viewers a fantastical nighttime adventure. . . . the crosshatched illustrations of imaginative creature-filled escapades recall classic Sendak. Equal parts magical and soothing, the story could serve as a wonder- filled read-aloud or a calming bedtime tale."--The Horn Book

"[An] enchanting bedtime tale."--Foreword Reviews

"A gentle and whimsical adventure, with a cool color palette of blues, purples, and greens to set a tranquil mood underneath a starry night sky. . . . This is a comforting read that encourages young readers to use their imagination to explore lands beyond their wildest dreams while overcoming their darkest fears."--The Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books

"Dream-inspiring bedtime fare that emphasizes a child's solo arc toward self-soothing and, eventually, sleep."--Publishers Weekly

"Bedtime shenanigans take on a comforting tone in this tale of epic adventuring under the sheets. . . . Dynamic pen-and-ink crosshatchings against a palette of deep navy blues and dusk-colored purples suffuse Watson's story with an appropriately mellow bedtime feel. . . . Tone is Blair's strength, and kids will enjoy following Watson's twisty paths with their fingers."--Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Landis Blair is the author and illustrator of The Envious Siblings and Other Morbid Nursery Rhymes, as well as the illustrator of the New York Times bestseller From Here to Eternity by Caitlin Doughty and the graphic novel The Hunting Accident by David Carlson, which won the 2021 Fauve d'Or and the 2020 Quai des Bulles. He has published illustrations in numerous print and online periodicals including The New Yorker, the New York Times, Chicago, VQR, and Medium. He lives in Chicago. Vist him at landisblair.com.