Father’s Day is coming soon, and you can find a good list of Picture Books to Celebrate Father’s Day at Biblioguides. Some of these—What Mary Jo Shared, Owl Moon, Knuffle Bunny—are favorites of mine, too. Others are new to me. But one of the books that is on my Father’s Day list, and also on the Biblioguides list, is this one by Charlotte Zolotow, who also happens to be one of my favorite picture book authors.

In The Summer Night, it’s bedtime and the little girl’s father has put her to bed after taking care of her all day, but the little girl isn’t sleepy. She asks for various things: a drink of water, an apple, an open window. Her father patiently and kindly gives the little girl all that she asks for and more: a story, a song, and finally a walk outside together in the nighttime. The little girl and her father explore the night together, return home, and then after another snack and a kiss, the little girl finally falls asleep as the owl hoots outside her window.

Reminiscent of Yolen’s Owl Moon as far as plot is concerned, The Summer Night is simpler and of course, more summery, than Owl Moon, which takes place on a winter night as a boy and his father go for a walk in the snow. The little girl and her father obviously have a loving relationship, and I can see this book becoming a favorite bedtime story for some children. Buyer beware, however, your child may want to go on a nighttime walk after reading this story. I want to go on a nighttime walk after reading this story!

Originally titled The Night When Mother Was Away and illustrated by Reisie Lonette in 1958, The Summer Night was republished with its new title and given new watercolor illustrations by Ben Schecter in 1974. Mother is never mentioned at all in the 1974 version of the book, and Biblioguides says that the text has been changed in the reprint edition. The story in 1974 and after simply begins, “The little girl’s father took care of her all day.”