Every Night at Midnight (Peter Cheong, Affirm)

Up-and-coming author-illustrator Peter Cheong casts a magnificent glow with Every Night at Midnight, his heart-warming picture book about finding friendship in unexpected places. With the repetitive refrain, ‘Every night at midnight I turn into a wolf’, a young boy has resigned himself to the fact that there is no one else like him, which isolates him from his friends. He tells himself he doesn’t need anyone while he ‘runs and runs and runs’ across the midnight cityscape and the wind roars around his fur. That is until the new girl at school shares an unexpected secret one night, and the lone wolf finds he needn’t be alone anymore. Cheong’s self-reflective narrative reads like velvet, just like the paws of his lone wolf. The emotive and playful language guides the whimsical, textured, crayon-like illustrations that leap off the page with their rich winter blues and blacks defined by white lines and pops of burnt orange. The action sequences and hidden and humorous details are enchanting. Every Night at Midnight is refreshing and warm. This vibrant, moving tale for readers aged 4–8 encapsulates the beauty of being yourself, accepting change and trusting in the friendships of others.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Romi Sharp is a picture book writer and digital marketer for children’s authors and publishers. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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