I’ve heard it said that coming up with a good a story idea is the most difficult part of authoring a book. Cheli Durand Ryan's story concept for Hildilid’s Night (1971) is an example of a good story idea turned into a great book: the night is not a concrete thing that can be manipulated. This is profound for a child. If the night is not something that one can hold, then what is it? It's funny to watch Hildilid try to clean, capture, cook, and tie up the night. Ryan employs a variety of vocabulary to describe Hildilid's ineffective attempts. For example, when she tries to boil away the night, “She ladled it, stirred it, simmered it, bubbled it, tasted it, and burned it…”. Some descriptions are poetic: 'She singed the night with a candle, but it skipped outside.” The ending of the story makes her struggle even more ludicrous. Arnold Lobel's drawings enhance the story elegantly.
My Falcons has Hildilid's Night for Literature Circles. Mrs. Proffitt has Day and Night Unit Activities. Briana Nicole has Day and Night Sort.
