Night Job by Karen Hesse

When I saw today's read, there was no way I was going to pass up on the chance to take a peek at it. It takes a look at a night time, school janitor and what he does as his son accompanies him.

(Time for a trip down memory lane....) My father worked as a high school janitor next to his regular job for many years, so that my six siblings and I could attend a 'better' school. We lived in the heart of a city, and the public high school in our district wasn't exactly a calm place. There were metal detectors and cops even back then due to the violence...and I'm talking fairly long ago. The private school was expensive, especially since my dad didn't earn much, and seven kids is a lot to put through. But as a janitor, he was able to secure us free tuition. So, he worked a physical labor job outdoors from 7:30am all day, and started his janitor job around 4pm or so until about midnight. I have no doubt that his sacrifice made a huge difference in our lives and even then knew the huge amount of effort it took as he'd sleep whenever he could on our couch.

I would, sometimes, accompany him, usually if I had a sport's game or practice of something and needed a ride home with him afterwards. So, this cover is nostalgic for me.

Anyway, let's see what this book is about, shall we?

 

NIGHT JOB

by Karen Hesse

Illustrated by G. Brian Karas

Candlewick Press

Picture Book

32 pages

ages 3 to 7

With lyrical narration and elegant, evocative artwork, Newbery Medalist Karen Hesse and illustrator G. Brian Karas share the nighttime experience of a father and child.

When the sun sets, Dad's job as a school custodian is just beginning. What is it like to work on a Friday night while the rest of the city is asleep? There's the smell of lilacs in the night air, the dusky highway in the moonlight, and glimpses of shy nighttime animals to make the dark magical. Shooting baskets in the half-lit gym, sweeping the stage with the game on the radio, and reading out loud to his father in the library all help the boy's time pass quickly. But what makes the night really special is being with Dad. Newbery Medalist Karen Hesse's quietly powerful story of a boy and his father is tenderly brought to life by G. Brian Karas in this luminous tribute to an enduring, everyday sort of love.

GOODREADS     /      AMAZON      /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

With family goodness, these pages raise awareness for the hard work parents and adults do to care for the kids.

The sun is going down, which means it's about time for a boy and his father to take off on the motorcycle and head toward the school. There, the father works as a night time janitor, and the boy accompanies him. While the boy, sometimes, helps out a little here and there, other times he reads books or even sleeps in a corner in the library. When the sun rises, they head home with a sense of family love and an extra twist at the end.

The illustrations will come across with familiarity as readers will see aspects of their own schools in the scenes. Plus, it will awaken dreams of what it'd be like to spend the night in the school when barely anybody else is there. Then, the text comes in with a gentle flow to match the night tone. It has a poetic feel to it, although it doesn't take on that form. This creates a lovely read-aloud, especially for school settings, since listeners will immediately let their imaginations drift into what it'd be like if they stayed in the school.

As to the messaging, there's two aspects which work nicely. First, these pages make it clear that parents often sacrifice quite a bit for the well being of their children. The father not only works diligently in his position and comes home in the morning tired from working all night. The second aspect is the large amount of care the father has for the son. While working, he never ignores his son, but makes sure he's comfortable and taken care of. Especially the scenes of the son reading books aloud in the library while the father cleans hold goodness pure. Even the last scene makes this entire loving atmosphere very clear and leaves everything off with a very caring note.