Ning and the Night Spirits

by Adriena Fong (Author)

Ning and the Night Spirits
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

A beautifully illustrated tale that shows no matter how small you feel, your actions can help make big changes. 

You Ning has always heard tales of the night spirits that used to terrorize the little village where he lives. So, each night, he helps his parents light bright orange lanterns to frighten them away. Secretly, he wonders if they're really as bad as everyone says - but is much too shy to ask anyone. But when Ning finds himself in the forest by night, he meets a creature who introduces him to the spirits' secret world and he discovers that all is not as it seems...

A beautiful and magical story about confronting fears, confidence and a little boy who finds his voice.

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Hardcover
$17.99

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Publishers Weekly

Friendship conquers fear in Singapore-born author-illustrator Fong's uplifting folktale. Quiet, bookish Ning, depicted with pale skin and tousled dark hair, lives in a "curious town nestled in a lush valley," where families light lanterns each evening to keep the legendary night spirits away. But Ning, a quiet boy who struggles to make friends, finds other children as scary as any night spirit. Sneaking off to the forest to get away from his parents' concerned whispering, Ning falls asleep and meets a Spirit Light, a kind, mystical being who introduces Ning to other night spirits and helps him rally support for the misunderstood spectral woodland creatures. Fong's largely earth-toned palette and delicate lines portray a lantern-hung countryside village with elements of a magical fantasyland--including snakelike dragons and rock outcroppings that sport faces. A cast of smiling townspeople of varying skin tones lead readers through this dreamlike adventure about beings learning to "celebrate their differences instead of hiding in fear." Ages 3-7. (May)

Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"Ning is a gentle hero in this magical bedtime adventure."
—Devon Holzwarth, creator of Found You
Adriena Fong
Adriena Fong is an illustrator born and raised in Singapore. She later moved to the UK where she completed a degree in Illustration at Falmouth University in 2020. She loves working with gouache and color pencils as well as textured brushes on Photoshop. With a keen interest in narratives of all sorts, her work hopes to instill a sense of warmth and
wonder. She is currently based back in sunny Singapore.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781913123161
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Nobrow Press
Publication date
May 02, 2023
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV037000 - Juvenile Fiction | Fantasy & Magic
JUV022000 - Juvenile Fiction | Legends, Myths, & Fables | General
JUV074000 - Juvenile Fiction | Diversity & Multicultural
Library of Congress categories
Fiction
Self-confidence
Picture books
Courage
Juvenile works
Children's stories
JUVENILE FICTION / Fantasy & Magic
Spirits
JUVENILE FICTION / Social Themes / Self-Estee

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