Night Light: A Story for Children Afraid of the Dark

In the light of day are things you can see, like flowers dancing in a breeze or the faces in the bark of your favorite tree. In the dark underground are mysterious things. Things you may never see.

Fear of the dark is a common experience most of us outgrow--we don't know how. Parents know the fear usually stops, but children don't--they are simply afraid. The delightful and enchanting story line and whimsical illustrations in Night Light help images of fear change to those of interest, fun, and comfort as children learn to overcome their anxieties.

This beautifully illustrated fable features Kalispel, a little earth-dwelling creature. Kalispel lives underground with his darkness-loving family and friends and is afraid of only one thing: daylight. One day, with the help of his bold pal Digger the Rotomite ("Rotomites are always bold"), Kalispel learns to face the day and to see its mysterious beauty. Dutro's whimsical prose and Boyle's drawings give the book a fairy-tale mystery and appeal. Young readers will be inspired by little Kalispel, the underground creature who learns to outgrow his fear of daylight--a mirror for children who, in our world, are afraid of the dark.

From the Introduction for Parents:

The inner workings of Night Light are solidly based on principles of pyscho-therapy advanced by Milton H. Erickson. The book uses indirect storytelling technique for a metaphor--that of representing the fear of the dark as fear of light. This reversal of light for dark and the miniature world presented are "confused techniques," which can subtly open doors for change in a child's mind...

Jack Dutro, PhD, is an Ericksonian hypnotherapist, a marriage and family therapist, and a counselor at Grays Harbor College in Aberdeen, Washington.

Kenneth Boyle is an illustrator, sculptor, model animator, and art teacher in New York City.