Night at the Fair

Great picture book for kids. It's really good for teaching small moment and the setting of the story. Love this book. Donald Crews is a wonderful author and illustrator.

Great small moment mentor text

Very pleased with this purchase

The community fair, complete with rides, games, and funnel cakes is an old American institution, imported from Europe, whose popularity persists despite many changes in our social rhythms. Donald Crews gives a childs-eye view of the fair, capturing well the sense of noisy excitement and fun that pervades the event. His bright colors, flashing against a darkened sky, show the rides and games up well, and it's almost possible to hear the hawkers inviting visitors to try out the games. In this fair there are no animals competing for prizes, only games, food, and rides; but there is an enjoyable self-portrait of the author on page seven. As always, Crews captures the mood of a complex social phenomenon with what looks like effortless skill.This book, with its bright colors, minimal text, and easy-to-understand pictures, and general sense of excitement, is a good choice for preschoolers who will soon attend (or who wish to relive) a local fair.

Donald Crew admirably captures the nighttime look and feel of a state fair in this beautifully illustrated kids' book. Using gouache and watercolor, his vivid primary colors contrasts the dark sky with the dazzling neon signs. One can practically feel the electricity pulsing from the bright lights, and the diffusion of light emits a magical energy. This super luminosity also enables readers to view the faces and emotions of the diverse crowd: romantic couples, excited kids, hungry teens, and pleased parents.The book's spare prose grasps the essence of the fair's main delights: Food ("So many things to eat and drink. So many choices."), games and prizes ("So many games to play."), and rides (And now, on to the RIDES!"). There are no animals in Crew's fair; this is strictly a food and rides extravaganza, at least during the night. The rides coverage spans 12 pages, culminating in "The best, the best ride of all...the GIANT FERRIS WHEEL!" The story concludes with a 2-page spread showing the fairgrounds from the top of the Ferris wheel, and a line of people happily leaving the grounds. As in a picture book, some of the ride pictures have no caption, it's as if Crews anticipated the awe of his young readers. The book has a big "WOW" factor, mainly due to Crews' outstanding feeling for the electric atmosphere of the fair.Obviously, Crews idealizes the Fair: It is blanketed by uniformly happy customers in a clean and wholesome environment. I've experienced nothing quite like this. Even in the most controlled venues such as Disneyland, one invariably encounters crying toddlers, parents arguing with their kids and with each other, exorbitant prices, and long lines. However, since this is a book for kids, Crews wisely excludes these details. As a result, he recreates a child's bedazzling experience of a fair's excitement and wonder.

The book begins at the main gate of a fair where people are lining up to buy tickets and are drawn by the lure of the bright lights. With the black background, the watercolor pictures pop, especially the yellow and white lights. The individual faces could have had more detail and expression on several of the pages. Each double spread illustration gave a clear idea of the exuberance and clutter of the fair.The story was lacking. Basically, we are taken on a tour of the sites at the fair. There is no central character to follow. There is absolutely no tension in the story at all. It feels more like a collection of drawings than a storybook. It could be used to build a child’s excitement before his first trip to the fair, but otherwise it’s the kind of book that would be looked through once with mild interest.Not recommended.For more picture book reviews, go to bferrante.wordpress.com/