When Arlo drifts off to sleep in this creative picture-book tribute to the power of the imagination and of make-believe, his toys carry on, working on Act 2 of the play they were all putting together. Their shenanigans, beautifully captured on the die-cute pages, wake Arlo, who joins them for Act 3, before everyone finally goes to bed...

Like I Wrote You a Note, the only other title from author/illustrator Lizi Boyd that I have read, I enjoyed the artwork in Night Play immensely. Created in gouache, it has a charming almost-collage-like feeling to it, that perfectly matches the stage/play theme of the story. The die-cut pages at the center of the book enliven the reading experiences, and suggest such things as stage curtains and scene shifts. I don't know that the text here was particularly strong (something I noticed too in I Wrote You a Note), but the central story idea is so well-matched to the artwork that I enjoyed this one all the same. Recommended to anyone looking for new picture-books about bedtime, imaginative play, and the curious activities our playthings get up to, after we fall asleep. ( )