Description One night, a child turns on the game console again, leaving the busy family behind. Then, suddenly—"Uh-oh, it's dark!" Because of an unexpected blackout, the child experiences a truly special night... A family picture book for everyone to read together! Winner of the 2012 Caldecott Honor Award A 2011 New York Times Notable Book A 2011 Wall Street Journal Best Book A 2011 School Library Journal Best Book A magical time, brought to you by Caldecott Honor-winning author John Rocco! In the busy, hectic rhythm of city life, children's daily routines can be just as exhausting as those of adults. Waking up early to go to school or kindergarten, then shuttling from one after-school class to another, a child finally reunites with family only when night has fallen. So just how much time does a child really get to sit down and chat with family? If a family can even manage to share dinner together, that alone feels like a small blessing. Blackout, the first book in the World Picture Book Authors series, beautifully portrays—through warm and imaginative illustrations—how a family, each absorbed in their own world after work or school, comes together during a sudden blackout to discover the romance and ease of nighttime they had never noticed before. Caldecott Honor author John Rocco has worked across many fields, from designing structures for Disneyland to illustrating for DreamWorks' Shrek, before falling in love with picture books in 2005. Drawing on his signature comic-style illustration, Blackout is a story based on his own real-life experience. He remembers the hours of darkness following a blackout as a truly "magical time," and poured his heart into sharing that feeling with readers everywhere. Tonight again, a lonely child turns on the game console alone, silently crying out, "Someone, please play with me!" Nowadays, many children spend much of their time isolated in apartments, playing computer games or watching TV alone. Even when parents or siblings are home, everyone tends to be busy doing their own thing in their own space rather than doing something together. In this picture book, Mom and Dad are busy with leftover office work and preparing dinner, while Big Sister is glued to her phone chatting with a friend. Meanwhile, the little boy's heart grows heavier and heavier—there's no one to play with. Reluctantly, he wanders over to the game console. His blank expression, as if he's already given up hope, suggests this happens every single evening in this house. Deep inside, he must have silently shouted countless times, "Please, just play with me!" Did someone finally hear his cry? Suddenly, the whole city loses power, and the family gathers together in one place. They play with shadows cast on the walls, climb up to the rooftop to gaze at beautiful starlight, and greet neighbors who are already enjoying a simple little party up there. They even go out onto the street to share free ice cream with others. For the little boy, the unexpected blackout turned into a gift—a treasure trove of joyful memories. So when the electricity comes back on and everyone returns to their usual routines, the child, missing that special time, plays a cute little trick: he sneaks off and turns off the lights again, bringing the whole family back together once more. What if we tried creating our own "blackout time" for the family to spend together? This book beautifully captures a child's quiet longing to spend more time with family. Parents reading this book to their children will deeply feel the loneliness the child experiences and reflect on what true happiness really means. And children will realize that they can have just as much fun without TVs or game consoles, and that they're never truly alone—they're part of a big, connected world of people. Even the night sky, once overlooked, will suddenly seem worth a second look. Starting tonight, why not turn off all the lights for just ten minutes and create your own family "blackout time"? Through this heartwarming picture book, may parents and children build even more precious memories together.