Reviews for Night Job

by Karen Hesse

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

A little boy accompanies his single-parent father to his evening job as the custodian at a large middle school in this serene, evocative story.The unnamed boy narrates the story in present tense as the pair ride together on the dad's motorcycle over a bridge and past a bay to the empty school. At first the boy shoots baskets as his dad mops the floor of the gym, but later the child works alongside his father as they listen to a baseball game on the radio. They eat sandwiches in a courtyard together, and then the boy reads and naps on a couch in the library while his father continues cleaning. By daybreak they are back home, falling asleep snuggled up in a cozy recliner, both dreaming of riding the motorcycle together over the water of the bay. This little boy is only 5 or 6, but he's a real help to his dad in packing up their lunch, assisting with his duties, and cleaning out their lunchbox when they return home. Hesse's poetic, calm text is matter-of-fact in conveying the love between parent and child and the bonding occurring through their shared work. Karas' mixed-media illustrations, employing a soft focus and a muted, nighttime palette, help to relay this bond as well as the excitement of riding on the back of a motorcycle at night. Father and son both present white, and both wear helmets.An endearing story conveying a satisfying sense of a job well done. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.


Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

On Friday nights, a young boy accompanies his father to his job cleaning a school. While the book quietly highlights their loving bond, it is loud in its admirable message that not everyone's job or home life is the same. The poetic text combines with the mixed-media illustrations' inspired use of light throughout to create a dreamy atmosphere. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Back