Night Noises by Mem Fox (1989) is a story about Lily Laceby, an elderly woman who lives in an old cottage. She is "nearly ninety." One evening, Lily falls asleep in her cozy chair "by her fire, snug and warm, she drifted off to sleep and began to dream." Her dog, Butch Aggie, naps at her feet. Lily dreams of moments in hr life. The older I get, the more I love stories like this one. There are noises outside, and Lily doesn't hear them but her dog does. He dog gets progressively more alert and then defensive with each page turn. When a simple knock at the door doesn't wake Lily, people bang on the door and shout at the windows. Butch Aggie barks and barks. Finally Lily awakens and wonders who could be outside. The answer is a happy one. Terry Denton's illustrations are brightly colored and somewhat comic. They lighten the growing tension and he succeeds in portraying Lily at different times in her life.
