Bright Lights and Summer Nights

One of the Toronto Public Library’s First and Best of 2025
An Amazon Best Book of June for Ages 3-5 Pick
A Canadian Children’s Book Centre Best Book for Kids and Teens, Fall 2025

”[W]ends from pleasantly pedestrian to fantastical and transcendent; this is the kind of restorative dream one hopes to have.” —STARRED REVIEW, Kirkus Reviews

“Crisp, rhythmic phrasing from Grant and luminous, emerald-hued artwork by Manbeck chart a child’s enchanted summertime dreams in this vividly rendered picture book… . As the story zooms back out, a portrait of the child curled up on a cloud warmly invites readers to drift off themselves.” —STARRED REVIEW, Publishers Weekly

“The sparse text encourages readers to take in the story slowly and pay attention to every turn of phrase and each star or shadow they see. Bright Lights and Summer Nights is a true lullaby, gently soothing readers to a place where they are ready for an enchanted night’s rest. Reminiscent of classic bedtime stories like Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, this lovely book is a beautiful bedtime story young readers will request night after night. Bright Lights and Summer Nights is a worthy addition to any young child’s bedtime routine.” —STARRED REVIEW, BookPage

”[A] lovely addition to the tradition of bedtime books that imagine a world of excitement and impossible wonders once the sun goes down.” —Booklist

”[A] lyrical bedtime book with golden mixed-media art that depicts a child busy with his toy box who allows himself to be carried off by a magical Mother Moon figure through a starry sky into a dreamlike playland filled with familiar toy characters, where he is finally lulled to sleep.” —Montreal Gazette

SHAUNTAY GRANT is an award-winning author, poet, playwright, interdisciplinary artist and associate professor of creative writing at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia. Her picture books include My Fade Is Fresh and Africville. In writing Bright Lights and Summer Nights, Shauntay was inspired by Margaret Wise Brown’s Goodnight Moon.

ZACH MANBECK is an artist and children’s book author and illustrator based in Pennsylvania. He made his picture book debut with You Are Here. Zach was inspired by the film The Wizard of Oz and the paintings of Maxfield Parrish and Vincent van Gogh for his art in Bright Lights and Summer Nights.

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