Monday, October 16, 2017

NIGHT SHIFT by Debi Gliori / Book Review #NightShift



Written & Illustrated by: Debi Gliori
Published by: Razorbill
To Be Released on: September 5th, 2017
Ages: 6 & up
Purchase from: PenguinAmazon | B&N
Add it to Goodreads
Source: e-arc from publisher in exchange for my honest review 

From beloved author and illustrator Debi Gliori (No Matter What) comes Night Shift, a groundbreaking lushly illustrated picture book based on Gliori's own personal history with depression.

Fighting dragons is one way of fighting depression. This book is another. 


Through stunning black and white illustration and deceptively simple text, author and illustrator Debi Gliori provides a fascinating and absorbing portrait of depression and hope in Night Shift, a moving picture book about a young girl haunted by dragons. The young girl battles the dragons using 'night skills': skills that give her both the ability to survive inside her own darkness and the knowledge that nothing--not even long, dark nights filled with monsters--will last forever. 


Drawn from Gliori's own experiences and struggles with depression, the book concludes with a moving author's note explaining how depression has affected her and how she continues to cope. Gliori hopes that by sharing her own experience she can help others who suffer from depression, and to find that subtle shift that will show the way out. 


A brave and powerful book, give Night Shift to dragon fighters young and old, and any reader who needs to know they're not alone.


A powerful picture book that not only gives a face to a silent killer that far too many of us deal with, both young and old, this book is also one of hope. Debi Gliori gives a face to something that sometimes kids and even adults, don't understand they're battling, and why they're feeling a certain way. This book is a brave reminder that they're not alone, and that they can conquer their 'dragon', depression and anxiety.  

With striking illustrations, and few words, Gliori's book is a powerful in it's message. She boldly illustrates the nameless feelings that plague so many kids and adults. I for one, absolutely loved the way this book was written and illustrated. I hope that this book will aid readers in helping them understand what depression and anxiety is, and that they aren't alone in their battles. My hope is that in picking this book up, it will help someone voice the unspoken feelings they have had kept locked up, feeling alone in their own battles, not able to voice what they've been feeling inside. 


I highly recommend this book for anyone who may be struggling to put a face and name to what they're feeling, but don't know how to. 


PRAISE FOR THE BOOK

“It is healing to know the words—or have images—to describe hazy but crushing feelings. The words and images can also help others empathize. Whether we need understanding, or to understand, Debi Gliori has given us all a powerful, and beautiful, gift with Night Shift.”
—Jay Asher, author of Thirteen Reasons Why and Piper, his first graphic novel, which he coauthored
"With exquisite brevity, Debi Gliori articulates the struggle of living with depression, in stunning black and white illustrations, punctuated by a single burst of the dragon of depression's fire. The spread where 'something shifted' and the depression lifts, is moving beyond words."  
—Cressida Cowell, author and illustrator of the How to Train Your Dragon series

ABOUT THE AUTHOR / ILLUSTRATOR

Debi Gliori lives in Scotland. Debi is well known for both her picture books and her novels for children and has been shortlisted for all the major prizes, including the Kate Greenaway Award (twice) and the Scottish Arts Council Award. Debi was the Shetland Islands' first Children's Writer-in-Residence. She has written and illustrated No Matter What, The Trouble With Dragons, Stormy Weather, The Scariest Thing of All, What's the Time, Mr Wolf?, Dragon Loves Penguin and, most recently, Alfie in the Bath and Alfie in the Garden as well as the popular Pure Dead fiction series for older readers.

3 comments:

  1. Oh, I like your review of this book! This is an important book to help children identify feelings. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much! It is. I highly recommend it.

      Delete
  2. Lovely review sweetie :D Thank you for sharing about this book. <3 I'm glad you liked it :)

    ReplyDelete

I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves. ~ Anna Quindlen

Good children's literature appeals not only to
the child in the adult, but to the adult in the child.
~ Anonymous ~