Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.
Brilliant and rich artwork makes this book appealing right away to a reader - it urges you to pick it up and read it. Upon reading the prose, however, the artwork and the story seem slightly incongruent with each other. Although the poem within the book seems fun - it juxtaposes a lot of images against their opposite situation, (i.e. Sunflowers rise in a midnight sky), since there is no real “story” it doesn’t actually capture the reader’s imagination as much as I thought it would upon first glance. The art completely overpowers the poetry. It is overwhelming and stunning and you want to flip through it just to see what comes next. But I just was not that impressed with the prose. Perhaps it is worth a purchase just for the illustrations alone.

Sunflowers Rise in a Midnight Sky by Avery Davis is a poetic / lyrical book that would be good for a bedtime story. The story did not keep my attention the best but maybe for a child it would. The illustrations in this book are just gorgeous, that was my favorite part of the book. I wish the story flowed better, but overall it was a good.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reading copy.

What a beautiful picture book that calmed my wild little one. The book follows the story of dreams in a fantasy world with such magical sights and places. The story is very lyrical and calming, especially for my little ones. We loved the vibrant colors and easy flowing text. Our favorites were the cow grazing on purple grass and the blown kisses lost in the wind. This has quickly become a bedtime favorite. We received this as an ebook ARC but will be adding it to our home library for sure. It has a feeling of magic, wonder and calm that your family will love and enjoy. Enjoy this adventure together.

This book was so imaginative and beautifully illustrated. My son loved it! A perfect bedtime story for littles.

Fun, whimsical picture book! I loved the beautiful illustrations & how the words were moving around the page.

The illustrations are absolutely beautiful and pull the reader into the lyrical quality of the words. This book is perfect for a bedtime reading routine.

Ne voglio ancora.... Non ho mai letto un libro così e mi sono commossa per la poesia di come vengono narrate le cose, ti sembra di essere in un sogno, ma soprattutto che meraviglia di disegni e che colori usati... Unici.. Sicuramente lo farò leggere a mia nipote.

The illustrations in this are magnificent. It was fun and thought provoking. I enjoyed the poems, though there were some that didn't flow as smoothly for me. I enjoyed the content enough that I would definitely read it again.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

I cannot get over the beauty of this book. The texture of the art made it feel like I was holding a living book, even though I was reading it on a tablet. A riot of colors and adventure meet you on every page, with each part of the story becoming grander than the last. You can see hints of the items used to create the different textures, which makes the story more endearing. The imagery and detail on every page is just astounding. I know I keep bringing it up, but it deserves to be noted again.

The only complaint, and it’s very minor, is that I forgot halfway through what the story was trying to get at. This could have just been me since I was so enraptured by the artwork. This is longer than I had expected, and seems longer than a traditional story for kids. My toddler may not have the patience to read the whole book in one sitting, but it’s definitely a story I want her to experience when she’s just a little older and can appreciate it more.

Sunflowers Rise in a Midnight Sky is a beautifully illustrated, imaginative children's book that ultimately falls short of its cover. The paintings are truly beautiful, mixing impressionism with an element of psychedelia. There is also plenty of beautiful dream imagery. My only objection is that the book paints an overly whimsical vision of the dream world and might have been better served if it had included a bit of not too scary darkness.

The artwork is absolutely beautiful! I loved looking at the different scenes, trying to take it all in. It was fantastical and lovely to read. I enjoyed each page, and I loved the cadence of the books. I did have some trouble trying to follow it, but it was more of a fantasy poem. Adorable.

Whimsical and vibrant, this picture story book is night time/need time story book which kids will love because how dreamy it looks. The dreamy illustrations are beyond beautiful and amazing to look at.

The imagination is running wild and amoke and it is better that way because that's how kid's imagination goes.

Thank you Netgalley and empyrean press for this beautiful ARC in exchange of an honest review.

4.4 ⭐️
Colorful. Imaginative. Storytime.

This whimsical and poetic book really sets the imagination on fire. The illustrations lead the way for the book and are SO CREATIVE and beautiful to look at. Some are frame-worthy! That was by-far my favorite aspect of the book.

The lyrics were were uniquely spirited and aligned well with the art.

“Dusk inks the sky. Tulips bloom by the full moon, drinking up the light, until next day at noon.”

This seems like a perfect next step up after the classic favorite “Goodnight Moon,” as it’s more poetic and the book is a lot longer.

👦🏻 This book is perfect for 4-6.

🥹 The downsides: It’s long compared to many bedtime stories. It took me 3 minutes to read aloud, without stopping to appreciate the pages or reflect on the message. The rhythm of the poetry wasn’t my style. It irked me at times because some parts had good flow and rhyming and others didn’t.

🖼️ Some of the pages are frame-worthy. Would be so cute on the wall in a pretty frame.

Thank you to NetGalley, Empyrean Press, and Avery Davis for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is an instant buy for us! The concept of dreams coming to life is awesome and the art is so beautiful and fun that it led my kids to add their own imaginative ideas throughout. Loved it!

I cannot wait to purchase a physical copy of this book to experience the beautiful images all over again. The words flowed magically from one page to the next and the vibrant colors are what dreams are made of. "Sunflowers Rise in a Midnight Sky" is the perfect bedtime story that will be enjoyed by both children and adults as the illustrations and whimsical ease of words will move the imagination in and out of a peaceful dreamscape. This was definitely a treat to read.

This storybook is beautiful and has a wonderful lesson to share. It's filled with such artistic works that span across pages. As a visual designer, I found a few pages harder to read than others, which gave me some concerns about the accessibility of this storybook for other people with lived experiences.

Overall, the story and message it conveys work well with the intricate art. It's a treat for the eyes. This would be a storybook I buy for my younger family members or friends who have children.

What a fun book! I love the way this book was written. This is a great book for a kid with a great imagination. The pictures were wonderful!

Review copy provided by NetGalley

The artwork in this book is absolutely gorgeous. Tang Wei captures this very specific feeling I remember having as a kid the first time I went to a museum and saw art that was made for me to enjoy then and there. She captures such beautiful ethereal whimsy, and her construction can be viewed so abstractly or concretely depending on how you interpret each page. It absolutely brought me back to childhood.

The writing can be a bit jarring and stilted at times, though I feel it still mimics/invokes the flow of dreams very well. It just makes it harder to get into a flow while reading it, especially aloud, as the rhythm can be stop and go.

This is a beautifully illustrated book! Both the children and parents can easily get lost in each page, with so much to take it. The story, combined with the illustrations, is a great opener for conversations about dreams and imagination. And seriously, it's just so pretty to look at.

Thanks to NetGalley and Empyrean Press for the eARC!

Thank you for the chance to review this book. The illustrations are some of the most beautiful I have seen in a children’s book. The words do not seem to fit. There is no plot to the book.