Alison Binks, Night Walk, Berbay Publishing, November 2018, 32 pp., RRP $26.99 (hbk), ISBN 9780994384171
Night Walk is a captivating story about the quiet beauty of the Australian bush at night time.
Casper is camping with his family. While other people, including his best friend Levi, might visit the seaside for their holidays, Casper’s mother and father prefer to pitch a tent in the red sands of the Australian outback.
Casper knows the outback is special. Especially during the night-time. It is a time of quiet beauty, when animals emerge from their slumber, to meander across the forest floor. The sky is alive and thick with stars. Casper knows to take his time and to immerse himself in the stillness of the natural world.
Binks’ watercolour illustrations capture the calm and almost ethereal quality of night-time in the bush. The use of lines draws the eye across the landscapes and towards the bush creatures hidden amongst the trees. Despite the darkness of the night, the images are filled with a warmth which invites the reader to experience this night-time world for themselves.
Night Walk is a gorgeous tale of the simple beauty of the Australian bush recommended for ages three and up. It is a story to inspire mindfulness and an appreciation of the beauty of the natural world – regardless of which country we may be in.
Reviewed by Fiona Miller-Stevens
