So many children are growing up with an inability to focus their attention on just one thing at a time. That is why we like this picture book in which a little boy who is spending the night in a tent ventures out into the darkness and discovers a world teeming with life and adventure.

His flashlight serves as a pointer enabling him to see a boot, bats, mice, an owl, skunks, a raccoon, a fox, and a deer. We won't reveal the other encounters for that would spoil the surprises that come unannounced.

Suffice it to say the Lizi Boyd has fashioned a winning children's book that has no words but packs plenty of emotional wallop. The tale has been designed for children between the ages of 2 and 6. We really love the idea of the flashlight as a symbol of the kind of focused attention and wonder that needs to be taught in the home and the classroom. Wise parents and grandparents may find this book to be useful in another way as well: it presents a fearless exploration of night as a rich milieu with many delights.