Night Lunch

*2022 New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children’s Books Winner* Teach values of generosity, understanding and community with this calm and scrumptious story about a lunch cart that feeds the wildlife creatures in the local area. Furry noses sniff the air as mouthwatering smells waft down city streets, luring growling bellies to the Night Owl. Inside this elegant, horse-drawn establishment, a feathery cook works the grill, serving up tasty dishes for shift workers and operagoers alike: a mince pie for Fox, a ham sandwich for Badger and puddings for little Possums. Mouse, a poor street sweeper, watches as the line of customers swells, ever hopeful that someone will drop a morsel of food – but Owl’s cooking is far too delicious for more than a crumb to be found. As the evening’s service winds down, weary Owl spots trembling Mouse. Has he found his own night lunch, or will he invite this small sweeper inside for a midnight feast for two? From the imagination of two acclaimed picture book creators, together for the first time, this dreamlike picture book is a magical ode to Victorian lunch wagons. With stark, feathery illustrations and minimal, poetic wording, the visuals are simple yet sweet. Evoking the sounds, sights, smells and tastes of the city at night, Night Lunch reveals how empathy and kindness as well as dignity and gratitude can be found – and savoured – in the most unexpected places.

ERIC FAN is an artist and writer who lives in Toronto, Canada. Born in Hawaii and raised in Toronto, he attended the Ontario College of Art and Design, where he studied illustration, sculpture, and f ilm. He has a passion for vintage bikes, clockwork contraptions, and impossible dreams. His children's books include The Night Gardener, The Antlered Ship, and Ocean Meets Sky. See more of his work at society6.com/opifan64 and on Facebook (Eric Fan Illustration).