There Was a Shadow by Bruce Handy
From NYT Best Children's Book author Bruce Handy, a luminous picture book that invites careful observation of light and shadow in the natural world, as well as in our own emotional landscape.A Publishers Weekly 2024 Summer Read
STARRED REVIEW! ★ “Lulling, mesmerizing lines by Handy observe shadows as they grow and fade, reflecting life over the course of a day.. A reiterative narrative voice invites readers to pay attention... Short sentences, progressing stepwise, reveal fresh surprises... Atmospheric spreads by Lisk pay attention to the play of light and its source—sunlight casts warm shadows, the indistinct shadows of dusk contain mystery, and moonlit shadows enchant. Together, the creators’ shared intensity gives this carefully observed work its resonance.”
* Publishers Weekly *A Publishers Weekly 2024 Summer Read
STARRED REVIEW! ★ “Lulling, mesmerizing lines by Handy observe shadows as they grow and fade, reflecting life over the course of a day... A reiterative narrative voice invites readers to pay attention... Short sentences, progressing stepwise, reveal fresh surprises... Atmospheric spreads by Lisk pay attention to the play of light and its source—sunlight casts warm shadows, the indistinct shadows of dusk contain mystery, and moonlit shadows enchant. Together, the creators’ shared intensity gives this carefully observed work its resonance.”
* Publishers Weekly *A Publishers Weekly 2024 Summer Read
STARRED REVIEW! ★ “Lulling, mesmerizing lines by Handy observe shadows as they grow and fade, reflecting life over the course of a day... A reiterative narrative voice invites readers to pay attention... Short sentences, progressing stepwise, reveal fresh surprises... Atmospheric spreads by Lisk pay attention to the play of light and its source—sunlight casts warm shadows, the indistinct shadows of dusk contain mystery, and moonlit shadows enchant. Together, the creators’ shared intensity gives this carefully observed work its resonance.”
* Publishers Weekly *A Publishers Weekly 2024 Summer Read
STARRED REVIEW! ★ “Lulling, mesmerizing lines by Handy observe shadows as they grow and fade, reflecting life over the course of a day... A reiterative narrative voice invites readers to pay attention... Short sentences, progressing stepwise, reveal fresh surprises... Atmospheric spreads by Lisk pay attention to the play of light and its source—sunlight casts warm shadows, the indistinct shadows of dusk contain mystery, and moonlit shadows enchant. Together, the creators’ shared intensity gives this carefully observed work its resonance.”
* Publishers Weekly *A Publishers Weekly 2024 Summer Read
STARRED REVIEW! ★ “Lulling, mesmerizing lines by Handy observe shadows as they grow and fade, reflecting life over the course of a day... A reiterative narrative voice invites readers to pay attention... Short sentences, progressing stepwise, reveal fresh surprises... Atmospheric spreads by Lisk pay attention to the play of light and its source—sunlight casts warm shadows, the indistinct shadows of dusk contain mystery, and moonlit shadows enchant. Together, the creators’ shared intensity gives this carefully observed work its resonance.”
* Publishers Weekly *STARRED REVIEW! ★ “The absence of light inspires its own unique story in this scintillating, kid-centered view of shadow play... Handy picks apart this day-to-day darkness while preserving its magic and wonder. Meanwhile, Feng’s art depicts the natural existence of shadows, outdoor and in, with an evocative sense of wonder. The world on these pages is rendered realistically, its innate magic still held intact. With kids’ fears banished, these shadows are no less enigmatic for being observed so closely in this lyrical, loving ode.” * Kirkus *
STARRED REVIEW! ★ “The absence of light inspires its own unique story in this scintillating, kid-centered view of shadow play... Handy picks apart this day-to-day darkness while preserving its magic and wonder. Meanwhile, Feng’s art depicts the natural existence of shadows, outdoor and in, with an evocative sense of wonder. The world on these pages is rendered realistically, its innate magic still held intact. With kids’ fears banished, these shadows are no less enigmatic for being observed so closely in this lyrical, loving ode.” * Kirkus *
STARRED REVIEW! ★ “The absence of light inspires its own unique story in this scintillating, kid-centered view of shadow play... Handy picks apart this day-to-day darkness while preserving its magic and wonder. Meanwhile, Feng’s art depicts the natural existence of shadows, outdoor and in, with an evocative sense of wonder. The world on these pages is rendered realistically, its innate magic still held intact. With kids’ fears banished, these shadows are no less enigmatic for being observed so closely in this lyrical, loving ode.” * Kirkus *
STARRED REVIEW! ★ “The absence of light inspires its own unique story in this scintillating, kid-centered view of shadow play... Handy picks apart this day-to-day darkness while preserving its magic and wonder. Meanwhile, Feng’s art depicts the natural existence of shadows, outdoor and in, with an evocative sense of wonder. The world on these pages is rendered realistically, its innate magic still held intact. With kids’ fears banished, these shadows are no less enigmatic for being observed so closely in this lyrical, loving ode.” * Kirkus *
STARRED REVIEW! ★ “The absence of light inspires its own unique story in this scintillating, kid-centered view of shadow play... Handy picks apart this day-to-day darkness while preserving its magic and wonder. Meanwhile, Feng’s art depicts the natural existence of shadows, outdoor and in, with an evocative sense of wonder. The world on these pages is rendered realistically, its innate magic still held intact. With kids’ fears banished, these shadows are no less enigmatic for being observed so closely in this lyrical, loving ode.” * Kirkus *
“This poetic picture book explores many aspects and types of shadows, both literal and metaphorical... Feng's lyrical illustrations play with light and dark, times of day, various emotions, and relationships between people and nature to perfectly match the poetic tone of the text.”
* Booklist *“This poetic picture book explores many aspects and types of shadows, both literal and metaphorical... Feng's lyrical illustrations play with light and dark, times of day, various emotions, and relationships between people and nature to perfectly match the poetic tone of the text.”
* Booklist *“An evocative exploration of shadows, both literal and metaphorical… Handy examines the omnipresent big and small shadows of the natural world, from the noontime shadow a tree casts, to the subtle shadows that land on a face or water. Feng’s delicate, fine-lined illustrations bring these depictions to brilliant life on the page… Handy tells this multilayered story with tenderness and reverence for the interior world of children. There Was a Shadow flows like poetry and sparkles as Feng’s beautifully wielded, sun-dappled illustrations impart mood and mystery. It’s easy to get lost in these shadows.”
* Bookpage *“An evocative exploration of shadows, both literal and metaphorical… Handy examines the omnipresent big and small shadows of the natural world, from the noontime shadow a tree casts, to the subtle shadows that land on a face or water. Feng’s delicate, fine-lined illustrations bring these depictions to brilliant life on the page… Handy tells this multilayered story with tenderness and reverence for the interior world of children. There Was a Shadow flows like poetry and sparkles as Feng’s beautifully wielded, sun-dappled illustrations impart mood and mystery. It’s easy to get lost in these shadows.”
* Bookpage *“This poetic picture book explores many aspects and types of shadows, both literal and metaphorical... Feng's lyrical illustrations play with light and dark, times of day, various emotions, and relationships between people and nature to perfectly match the poetic tone of the text.”
* Booklist *“This poetic picture book explores many aspects and types of shadows, both literal and metaphorical... Feng's lyrical illustrations play with light and dark, times of day, various emotions, and relationships between people and nature to perfectly match the poetic tone of the text.”
* Booklist *Bruce Handy is a journalist, humorist, editor, and essayist. The Happiness of a Dog with a Ball in Its Mouth, his first book for kids, was named a Best Children’s Book of 2021 by the New York Times. He is also the author of Wild Things: The Joy of Reading Children’s Literature as an Adult and the picture book What If One Day…, illustrated by Ashleigh Corrin. He lives with his family in New York City.
Lisk Feng is an award-winning illustrator. She has worked with clients such as the New York Times, the New Yorker, and Apple, and has illustrated several children’s books, including Everest, A Hug Is for Holding Me, and Our World. In addition to receiving recognitions from the Society of Illustrators and Communication Arts, she was selected for the 2019 Forbes “30 under 30” list for Art and Style. Originally from China, she now lives in New York City.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781592704064 |
| ISBN 10 | 1592704069 |
| Title | There Was a Shadow |
| Author | Bruce Handy |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Enchanted Lion Books |
| Year published | 2024-06-06 |
| Number of pages | 52 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |