DAWN WATCH by Jean E. Pendziwol; Pictures by Nicolas Debon.

Editorial Review:
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 4-During a nighttime sail across Lake Superior, a girl wakes up to take a watch with her father. The air is crisp and cold and Dad points out the Big Dipper and Little Bear and muses that the North Star has guided sailors for thousands of years. When he slips down to the cabin to fetch hot chocolate, the girl is left alone, and she imagines pirate ships, sea monsters, and rocky islands in the black waves. The images disappear when she blinks, but she does see the red and green lights of a passing ship. Her father returns and together they watch the sun rise and finally see land in the distance, a "black line between sky and sea." The lyrical, first-person narrative quietly captures the wonder of the universe during a late-night journey. There is a sense of adventure when the child is alone on deck. Debon's paintings are awash with dusky hues; navy blue, coal black, and cool gray are accented with careful use of white. Glowing mugs represent warmth, and the colors gradually lighten as dawn approaches so that the final pages show a pink and orange morning sky. A quiet adventure for sharing one-on-one.-Shawn Brommer, South Central Library System, Madison, WI