by Marc Harshman
Melodious sounds that children might hear as day turns into night in various places around the world are presented in this lyrical go-to-sleep book. Softly hued, gentle paintings depict a young child, thinking of children just like him in far-away places listening to the reassuring sounds that surround them before they drift off to dreamland.
Asleep approaches, children across the world listen to the noises of the night. Familiar with the sounds surrounding them, they can only imagine what other kids hear as they lie in their beds far, far away. One young boy, camping outside and listening to katydids, dreams about kids just like him, only different. He pictures Maria in Brazil hearing howling monkeys, Habib in Egypt listening to the shifting sand, Meli in Western Samoa hearing squeaking fruit bats....Such dreams take him through the night and "all the way to morning." Glowing and evocative illustrations depict a journey around the world, capturing and celebrating the wonderful diversity of children everywhere.
Review:
"This truly international book shows children across the world listening to night sounds. Dvalos' lovely illustrations have a soft, stained glass feel to them that mirrors the soothing tone of the story." -- Bookselling This Week - October 4, 1999
About the Author:
For many years Marc Harshman taught fifth and sixth grades at the Sand Hill School, one of the last of the three-room country schools. Raised in Indiana, he has lived his adult life in West Virginia with his wife, Cheryl Ryan who is an artist, children's author, and librarian. His daughter, Sarah Jayne, is pursuing graduate studies at The Pratt Institute. The author of three chapbooks of poetry, he is also a well-known writer of children's picture books. His children's titles have been published in Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Danish, and Swedish. The Storm was a Junior Library Guild selection, a Smithsonian Notable Book for Children, and a Parent's Choice Award recipient. He has also received the WV Arts Commission Fellowship in Poetry and subsequently the Fellowship in Children's Literature. He holds degrees from Bethany College, Yale University Divinity School, and the University of Pittsburgh.
Short prose works have won awards from Newport Review and Literal Latte. Anthology publication of poems include Kent State University, the University of Iowa, University of Georgia, and the University of Arizona. He has also served as an instructor for the historic Appalachian Writers Workshop at the Hindman Settlement School in Hindman, KY.
On May 18, 2012 Governor Earl Ray Tomblin announced that he has appointed Marc Harshman as the new Poet Laureate for West Virginia in recognition of his work in both poetry and children's books.
About the illustrator:
FELIPE DAVALOS is an internationally acclaimed artist. Winner of the 2000 Pura Belpr Illustrator Honor Award, he has illustrated several books for children. His illustrations have also been published in leading magazines such as National Geographic and Scientific American, and in art history/archeology books focusing on pre-Columbian cultures. A native of Mexico, Davalos now lives with his family in Sacramento, California.
REVIEWS
HOLIDAY PRESENTS THAT WON'T BREAK
HEARTFELT BOOK SELECTIONS MAKE SPECIAL GIFTS FOR CHILDREN
Publication: THE SUNDAY GAZETTE-MAIL
Byline: MARINA HENDRICKS
Moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas, aunts and uncles: Are you searching for a special gift for the children in your lives?
Instead of a high-tech gizmo or the season's must-have toy, consider three books with local ties. They are one-size-fits-all, hard to break and reusable. And best of all, they help young minds to grow.
Here's a brief look at each one.
"All the Way to Morning" By Marc Harshman (Marshall Cavendish, New York, 32 pages)
Like Santa Claus, Moundsville's Marc Harshman journeys around the world in one night with his latest work, "All the Way to Morning."
"It's a story of a young child falling asleep," Harshman said. "He wonders what's it like for children elsewhere."
Harshman, a father and former teacher, encourages the young reader to learn a little about life in other countries with text and names appropriate to each culture. Rich, vivid illustrations by Felipe Davalos complement his words.
"I'm really knocked out by this fellow's work," the author said. "I've had people tell me 'It reminds me of stained glass.'"
On a surface level, Harshman wants the reader to enjoy the book "for whatever reason a child enjoys anything." But he also has a more altruistic goal.
"I obviously want them to realize the world is a large and diverse place, and that there are children of many colors and religions, but nevertheless they are all children," he said. "They all share similar things despite their diversity in that they are children and they all have to go to sleep with many questions on their mind.
"Hopefully, it will be one more small blow struck for a world that will have less fear and hatred in it."
The author of eight children's books says his own childhood inspired him to try his hand at writing both poetry and stories.
"I grew up with storytelling and a family that valued and treasured books," he said.
Of his two preferred forms of expression, Harshman finds stories harder to write.
"Every word has to be just right," he said. "You've got to be able to hear the text. It's a different leap, in a sense - harder than the poems I write. I have to speak and write in a way that's attuned to the child."
