mrs louise h steele

Wonderful, poetic text and gorgeous illustrations., 16 Mar 2002

This ranks among my top five books for children between the ages of two and four. The text is fabulous, always flowing seductively, sometimes rhyming gently as it describes the many things that happen in towns in the middle of the night.

The book's beautiful illustrations show grey city exteriors and warmly lit interiors realistically but in soft focus, homing in on the actions of night workers and their surroundings.

Life and death are here. An old person dies in the hospital and a new baby is born the same evening. And the Lady in Red, the Night Mail train, rushes through.

My children love this one, particularly the almost three year old. The text lulls him and the scenarios… Read more

What they never tell you is how FUNNY this book is., 9 Sep 2000

Deighton has given his nameless narrator a wry, dry wit. Even if you don't like spy stories (and this one's a cracker), the style will grip you. I'm going to have to read it again.