Judy Pedersen

When Night Time Comes Near 

Viking Children's Books 

 

Publishers Weekly wrote: This soothing a lyrical bedtime book consciously invokes the spirit of Margaret Wise Brown's book GOODNIGHT MOON. Hushed prose charts the activities that signal the close of the day: neighbors turn on porch lights and bring in lawn chairs, a boy and his cat return to a house that "feels like a warm blanket and smells like apple juice." As the boy prepares for bed, says goodnight to his parents and his pet, and drifts off to sleep, the pages gradually darken, from a color saturated light to a quiet twilight palette. Readers will float on a cascade of poetic images. ("You can see the sun slide behind the hills and the stars shimmer like clean pennies"). Visually, Pedersen's style borders on folk art, but with more overtly childlike elements--strong lines and vigorous brushwork give the paintings texture and depth. She periodically tips her hat to Brown, as in a simple yet stirring double-page spread of the night sky, paired with the words "Good night sun. Hello moon." An homage to a beloved classic, and a thoughtful interpretation of a familiar theme. Ages 3-8

 

Author/Illustrator

THE TINY PATIENT  (Alfred A. Knopf)

OUT IN THE COUNTRY  (Alfred A. Knopf)

WHEN NIGHT TIMES COMES NEAR  (Viking Children's Books)

 

Illustrator

GATHER UP, GATHER IN: A Book of Seasons by M. C. Helldorfer  (Viking Children's Books)

THE YELLOW BUTTON by Anne Mazer  (Alfred A. Knopf)

ON THE ROAD OF STARS: Native American Night Poems and Sleep Charms: complied by John Bierhorst  (Macmillan Publishing Co.)

THE PUMPKIN THAT KIM CARVED by Fay Robinson  (D. C. Heath)

THE BLUE JAY by Margaret Cleveland  (D. C. Heath)

 

Additionally, my illustrations have appeared as cover art for many young adult and adult books for publishers including: HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, William Morrow & Co., Farrar, Straus & Giroux, Random House, and Little Brown & Co. 

 

Numerous magazine articles and advertising campaigns have featured my work including The New York Times, Strathmore Paper, Herman Miller, and American Express.

 

My paintings and illustations have been shown in New York, Santa Fe and Tokyo.