“Flashlight" by Lizi Boyd

I discovered Flashlight by Lizi Boyd quite by accident and very much by yank—the yank of fifty books at once from the shelves of the Boca Raton Public Library, that is.

This is my preferred way of visiting any library, and if you have little ones, it probably is yours too.

Like tots everywhere, I read picture books in bed, just before slipping off into the mysteries of the slumberworld. Christoph occasionally leans over for a peek at an illustration or two, but rarely can I entice him into reading with me. Except with Flashlight. He studied every page slowly, carefully, and together we marveled at Boyd’s stunning, playful nightscape.

The book is wordless, but that doesn’t mean it is without story. With nothing but the conical light of a flashlight, the child in the story illuminates the darkness to uncover a whole cast of characters.

This will appeal especially to children who crave the freedom to guide a story with their own imagination. Fans of David Wiesner’s work will feel right at home.

Flashlight is a beautiful, imaginative, darling piece, and I hope Boyd will consider developing it into a series and potentially even a film.