by Moe Zilla

Created on: April 04, 2010

"The Marvelous Journey Through the Night" is one of the best bed-time picture books ever. It was written 20 years ago by author-illustrator Helme Heine. (He's "one of West Germany's premier picture-book creators," according to the book's jacket, which adds that the New York Times picked one of his books as one of the best illustrated books of the year.) Even the book's inside cover is mysterious - black lines on an off-white background, suggesting the shadows of clouds that also resemble faces. But it's the drawing on the cover which foreshadows its magical story. A little boy and girl stand on a crescent moon - blowing bubbles into the night that turn into planets.

The hero of the story is a little boy in a dark blue jumpsuit - Sleep. He never says a word, but he wields his power over all the creatures of the world. Both wild animals and tame animals follow him. (They tug their chains or shake the bars of their cage by day, until Sleep "comes and sets them free.") My favorite page shows a dark sky and a dark ocean, with luminous shadows of fish following Sleep's bait, which is shaped liked a crescent moon. The fish "rise up from their oceans, rivers, and lakes... They all follow Sleep."

But the book's real strength is its funny drawings. There's a group of people lined up for the marvelous journey - a dog, an Indian, a pirate, the Pope. The funny people have lined up, waiting for Sleep's journey - and the book tells you the "secret sign" that starts this trip  - putting your hand over your mouth and yawning. "Then along comes Sleep with his moon-lantern and makes your eyelids droop." And Heine draws more people lining up for the journey - a painter, a clown, a hunter, a cellist... There's even animals on the trip - a crocodile, a mouse, a tiny pink sheep.

His star-covered cloak is the night itself - and when you forget who you are, Sleep calls his sister...Dream. "She drives away the darkness and leads you to the paradise of dreams, the Land of Heart's Desire." Suddenly the drawings turn brighter - and even more nonsensical. There's people dozing in floating bubbles. A one-legged pirate walks across the ocean. A fearless bunny resting in a hunter's gun.

"Don't be afraid, you won't lose your way. Sleep is watching over you, he will guide your steps."

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