When a little girl can't sleep one night, her dad asks if she'd like to go for a walk. They tiptoe through the silent house and step out into the dark.

It's strange and exciting to be out so late. Walking down the street, the girl can see inside the lit-up windows of apartment buildings and houses where people's lives are unfolding. Kids are having a pillow fight in one house, while a family has gathered for a festive meal in another. She and her dad reach the still-busy shopping area, walking past restaurants and enticing store windows, then stop for a tranquil moment in the park before returning home.

Sara O'Leary has captured a child's nighttime wonder as she explores her neighborhood and comes to the comforting realization that she belongs. Ellie Arscott's illustrations, luminous and rich in color, perfectly complement the story. (From Groundwood Books)

Sara O'Leary is a writer from Quebec. She is the author of the novel The Ghost in the House and the children's books Owls Are Good at Keeping Secrets, illustrated by Jacob Grant, A Family Is a Family Is a Family, illustrated by Qin Leng, and This Is Sadie, illustrated by Julie Morstad.

Ellie Arscott is an artist and illustrator from Ontario. Night Walk is her first picture book.