'Twas the Night

Marin

Dec 2019 · Fontreal

About this ebook

The only wordless book in the 2Gether Picture Book Collection is ‘Twas the Night. The illustrations-only story shows a boy who is in a wheelchair. The setting is dark, urban, and the streets are sprinkled with Christmas lights. The boy finds an injured white dove on a sidewalk. He nurses the bird back to health with gentle care and trains the bird until it is able to fly again. In the entire book there are no people, cars or other creatures which re-enforces the uniqueness of the two protagonists and adds a dream-like atmosphere to the publication. One of the illustrations shows a framed picture of Peter Pan’s shadow on the mantle, and readers realize the boy’s dream: he wants to fly with the dove. ‘Twas the Night is a real Christmas wonder that encourages readers to apply their own imagination, to verbalize their own feelings, and to interpret their own emotions while following the illustrations. The subliminal message? Dream big. It’s a story in which the boy and the dove fly free and when high in the sky they encounter Santa flying in his sleigh. ‘Twas the Night is a remarkable book in which dream and reality mix and imagination take flight, just as the dove and the boy in the wheelchair do.

Ratings and reviews

‘Twas the Night follows a young boy through city streets where he finds an injured bird and decides to nurse it back to health. When the bird is healthy enough to fly and takes off out the window, something absolutely magical happens. This charming children’s story is told completely through images. No words. The first scene we come across is a little boy in a wheelchair on an empty city street finding an injured bird on the sidewalk. My heart ached when I saw this image. The emotions were palpable and I could easily sense what was going on in the scene. No words needed. This is a picture book that truly lives up to the saying, ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’. I loved the images in this book. Each is a real image with a rotoscope type art style that gives this story great depth and builds on the surreal nature of the dark and lonely city streets which feel enchanting because of the inclusion of Christmas trees and various lights that bespeckle the pages. ‘Twas the Night tells a beautiful holiday story that inspires the imagination. With other children’s books I find that I’m focused on reading the story to my child. But this book felt much more interactive because me and my child sat together and discussed our thoughts and emotions on each scene. Readers looking for a unique reading experience will find a treat with Marin Darmonkow’s picture book.

About the author

My name is Marin and I was a child a very long time ago. My father passed away when I was one year old. My mother remarried and I was raised by my loving (but strict!) grandparents. After losing their son, they were terrified by the thought of losing their grandson. For this reason, they didn’t let me play on the street, swim in the nearby pond or explore the forest with the rest of the kids. This was also the reason I learned to read and write long before I went to school. My grandparents surrounded me with books. Books became my imaginary parents and my fictional friends. Apart from my genetic building blocks, books also came to be the main component in my development as a creative, compassionate and competitive individual.

I studied nuclear physics, art, and literature, but I enjoyed art the most. As a young artist, I was eager to succeed, winning prizes from various countries. I later became a partner in an advertising agency and switched my attention to serving clients. My last award was somewhere in the early nineties – The Best in the West by Corel Draw Corporation.

Oh, a few more boring things about me: I do not drive, I do not drink carbonated beverages, I have never consumed food from McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC or any other fast food restaurant, I do not have a mobile phone, I have never used legal or illegal drugs (except Gravol when I fly), and I have never visited my GP (much to the disapproval of my wife).

I read. I read every day. I am what I am today because of books.