Lucy and Darkness
This wild, action-packed book is a bewitching tribute to the night.
Lucy is scared – she can hear a voice from under her bed. When she peers down, she finds Donker, who isn’t half as frightening as she thought. You just have to get to know him. A picture book for anyone who’s ever been scared of the dark.
Lucienne van der Leije
l.van.der.leije@singeluitgeverijen.nl
Lucy can’t get off to sleep. She’s afraid of the dark. If only it were light! If only this night were over, she thinks to herself. Then she hears a voice coming from under her bed. “Donker’s the name,” the voice says.
Donker manages to calm Lucy and take her – and teddy bear Watje – on a journey into the night, which turns out to be full of life. Journeying over the dunes, they enter the forest. Lucy, awestruck, says to Donker: “You’re everywhere.”
Donker shows her how much there is to see once your eyes adjust: deer and foxes dashing here and there,long-eared hares and a whole world of new smells and sounds. The once terrifying Donker becomes Lucy’s guide in this unknown world. “You know, when you’re here, you can’t see where one thing starts and the other ends. At night, you’re both here and there.”
Karst-Janneke Rogaar has written and illustrated an utterly charming picture book, offering an entertaining yet profound exploration of the dark. Turning each page, your eyes seem to become more accustomed to the darkness as you discover more and more of the night. The dark charcoal sketches reveal more and more.
Special Mention Bologna Ragazzi Award 2026 fiction
Extraordinary charcoal illustrations
Poetic and philosophical language
Meets young minds at their level
You’re almost disappointed when the sun rises in this gorgeous picture book. Rogaar’s musical style makes this book a joy to behold and a joy to read aloud together. Her ability to render palpable the absence of light, something which children will know from experience, is a fantastic paradox. It is what drives this book’s endless fascination.
de Volkskrant
Rogaar’s ingenious charcoal sketches draw you into the bewitching world of the night. Rogaar’s clever use of the dynamics of poetic language and mysterious drawings brings the night to life, yet never losing a sense of its eeriness. You can almost smell the scent of the honeysuckle and hear the hooting call of the owls.
Het Parool
Rogaar manages to tell a story using very little colour. Her ability to personify the intangible – the dark – is as entertaining as it is moving, engrossing but never terrifying.
NRC
