Beatrice Likes the Dark by April Genevieve Tucholke

Beatrice Likes the Dark Reviews

• 
  Diana

  Beatrice likes the dark. I can relate, Beatrice! This beautiful children’s book is about sisters learning to appreciate their differences. The illustrations are gorgeous.
• 
  A.G. Howard

  What a lovely little tale of sisterhood and opposites making the world go round. Charming prose and enchanting pictures. A perfect fall picture book (or anytime of year!). <3
• 
  Nursebookie

  I adored this beautiful picture book about sisters who are different and love each other for their differences. Uniqueness is embraced and understanding for each other is what you learn from each other. Such a wonderful way of telling this story!
• 
  TL

  Artwork: 4 stars 🌟
  Story and characters: 4 stars 🌟
  ---
  Listened to the author read it on Instagram while showing the illustrations. (She did a good job reading it)
  
  Really enjoyed the story and I kept rewinding to look at the art:)
  
  Not to overuse the words but a sweet and lovely story that got me smiling. (Needed that)
• 
  Stefan Bachmann

  Picnics in graveyards, and potions in attics. This is a beautifully illustrated, poetically told tale of sisterhood and overcoming differences. I love it.
• 
  Jen (Finally changed her GR pic)

  The artwork was pretty and the story was sweet, about two sisters who are almost literally as different as night and day, but still love each other anyway. They share what they love with each other and respect what the other loves, even if they don’t like it themselves. What the world needs more of, being invited into where others are and respecting their space, while also sharing their space as well. 4, I love the art, stars.
• 
  Lupe

  I think this book is beautiful. I can think of several students who would gravitate to the dark setting. I really enjoyed the light setting, too. I may purchase this for friends who love the Nightmare Before Christmas.
• 
  Amanda

  One of my favorite illustrators!
• 
  Gabi

  When their differences seem to define them, can two sisters find common ground?
  
  Evocative and beautifully illustrated, this picture book is also a perfect choice for Halloween!
• 
  Alexa Patsalis

  The illustrations are 😍
• 
  Kate

  || BEATRICE LIKES THE DARK ||
  
  Beatrice likes the dark. She likes black clothes, graveyard picnics, and a sky full of stars. Her sister, Roo, likes the light. She likes bright clothes, picking strawberries, and hot, sunny days. Can Beatrice help Roo love the dark, as she does? Can Roo help Beatrice love the light? Or are they simply too different to get along?
  ✍🏻
  I simply cannot get enough of this picture book! Maybe it's because I have a soft spot in my heart for a story of two sisters, one light, one dark. Or maybe it's the absolutely gorgeous illustrations. Or the funky house full of cats that they live in, mixing potions in the attic. (Practical Magic Movie Vibes). It may be all these things but it is also a very tender and touching book about individuality and loving each other above our differences. Bravo!👏🏻 🖤
  
  Gifted from the publisher opinions are my own.
  
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• 
  Meg

  Well here I am, as a child, in a picture book lol. Beautiful art and so whimsical.
• 
  Maggi Rohde

  Beautiful art. Two magical sisters, trying to understand one another.
• 
  Rachel

  Story 4 stars
  Art 5 stars
• 
  Jeremy

  Really great illustrations, full of witchy whimsy. Not sure if kids would like this, but goth girls who are bewildered by their basic sister who shops at Lululemon would resonate with this.
• 
  Villain E

  Stylish. Will probably appeal to adults or teens more than kids. Beatrice likes dark clothes and black cats and gloomy attics. Her sister Roo likes bright colors and butterflies and strawberries. They manage to find some common ground.
• 
  Cristy Villemaire

  I absolutely loved this picture book. The cover immediately draws you in and hypnotize you with its amazing color scheme. Inside, the story introduces Beatrice, a girl who loves the dark. From her clothes to having picnics in the graveyard. We also meet Beatrice's little sister Roo. The two of them couldn't be any more different. Roo loves sunshine, picking fruit, and doesn't like the darkness that much.
  
  Will the sisters be able to see eye to eye? What happens when two sisters are so different, but their love for each other is extremely strong. I could literally read this every day and night. My five year old daughter loved this story. The illustrations are like anything I've seen in a picture book.
• 
  Amanda Thompson

  This book has a lovely story and gorgeous illustrations. Just...wow. I adore this book.
• 
  Justine Barr

  This story is told in beautiful prose surrounded by whimsical illustrations, and Sophie and I were captivated from cover to cover!
  
  The dedication from the author really says it all…”To those who are afraid of the dark, and to those who are afraid of the light…the world needs you both.”
• 
  Dedra

  The illustrations are outstanding in this book. I love the lyrical text and the repetition of words that give the book a dream like feel. It is odd and strange, but somehow it all works. I feel like this a book that some quirky kid will pick up and fall in love with... while other kids may just go "huh?" after reading it. Definitely one I need to revisit.
• 
  Erin

  3.5
  
  At first this presents as a dark and light story, but really it's a moon and sun story. Beatrice prefers the dark, but has a distinct moon vibe, silvery and ethereal and shadowy. Roo thrives in the light, but has a sunny personality and loves cheerful, warm, bold things. But this sisters support each other and love each other despite their differences.
  
  Sweet, with gorgeous illustrations.
• 
  Jazz

  A sweet story about two sisters, one who loves darkness and one who loves light, finding a way to understand each other.
• 
  Ksenia

  Beautiful art and a sweet story about sharing oneself with another.
• 
  Lexi

  This is such a cool witchy book for kids
• 
  Viviane Elbee

  I love thé illustrations in this opposite sibling story!
• 
  Olivia

  BEATRICE LIKES THE DARK is an enchanting picture book about sisterhood and connection. Beatrice likes the dark, spiders, graveyards, and black clothes. However, she does not understand her sister Roo. Roo likes the light, yelling, sunshine, and butterflies. Roo also doesn't understand Beatrice. One night, when Beatrice leaves their bed to go up to the attic and whisper to the spiders, Roo asks her to stay because she is scared of the dark. Instead, Beatrice takes her into the attic to make a Roo Potion to help her like the dark. In the day, Roo helps Beatrice to learn a song that will help her like the light. Importantly, they know they are sisters and they will always love each other.
  
  What I liked: This is such a lovely story about sisterhood, embracing your differences, and the special connections they share. While it becomes clear that Beatrice and Roo are very different, the messaging is really around the fact that despite those differences, they still love and want to help each other. While Beatrice loves the dark, spiders, and the like, it is no deeper than the Halloween style that will charm fellow lovers of the holiday. This is all juxtaposed with the colorful noise of Roo that appears after. Children will love to consider how alike or not they are to each sister, while understanding the love that connects them.
  
  The illustrations are absolutely stunning. The artwork is gorgeous on each page, bringing the story to life with stunning use of color and detail. Both Beatrice and Roo come to life through these sweeping images.
  
  The length of the book is a little long for picture books, but this will work better for older picture book readers and those that appreciate a longer story. As the images are detailed with plenty to visually explore on each page, readers will be happy to stay on each page until they are turned.
  
  What left me wanting more: As a very small thing, some of the text has a really great rhythm as it is read with some repeating words (such as "Beatrice likes the dark dark dark"), but then it falls out of this rhythm in a sentence or two, which can throw the reader off a bit. It's a very small thing, but it would have been cool to keep the rhythm and give it a great verbal flow.
  
  Final verdict: With stunning illustrations and sweet messaging, BEATRICE LIKES THE DARK is a sweeping picture book about sisterhood and celebrating differences. Highly recommend checking this one out!
  
  Please note that I received an ARC. All opinions are my own.
• 
  Pam

  Beatrice and Roo are sisters. Beatrice likes dark, dark, dark and spiders, spiders, spiders and Roo likes light, light, light and “the light, light, light likes her”. Neither sister can understand the other until one night when Beatrice is going up to the dark and cobwebby attic, Roo follows her to tell her she is afraid of the dark. The sisters work together to create a warm and lovely and delicious smelling potion (made with orange peels and grass clippings). From then on, although each sister still doesn’t love the dark or the light (variably) they love each other and find ways to combine their loves. Beatrice holds Roo’s hand in the dark, dark, dark of night until they are both find the light, light, light of a sunrise.
  The illustrations, done by Koa Le are perfect. Dark and shadows for Beatrice explode into brilliant colors of light for Roo with each sister getting the color palette of her choice. When the girls figure out how to be together, even though they are so different, Le finds a way to blend their light and dark into beautiful spreads. A brilliant sunset against a very dark sky, for example or Roo in her bright red checked dress holding one of Beatrice’s jet-black cats.