Who Left the Light On?
Who Left the Light On?
By Richard Marnier
Illustrations by Aude Maurel
Translated from the French by Emma Ramadan
Yonder: Restless Books for Young Readers
Winner of the 2023 Prix Albertine Jeunesse | 3-5 YEARS OLD
From French author-illustrator duo Richard Marnier and Aude Maurel comes a captivating picture book about creativity, diversity, and self-expression.
Hardcover • ISBN: 9781632061898
Publication date: Nov 20, 2018
Other buying options:
About the Book
This is my town,
simple and typical.
Each house has a door,
two windows, a red roof
—all so predictable
But then one night… someone leaves on their light!
And in the morning, what a shock!
The shutters are sealed tight!
Who is that who lives next door?
We’ve never seen anything like this before!
In a town where everyone follows the rules, one neighbor’s decision to leave the light on at night completely disrupts the neighborhood, sparking a creative revolution. Vibrant, poetic, and fun, Who Left the Light On? playfully teaches the powerful lesson that diversity, creativity, and individuality should be celebrated.
Praise For Who Left The Light On?
“My three-year-old daughter loves flipping back in the book to trace how the neighborhood changes in Aude Maurel’s whimsical illustrations. This captivating technique—focusing on a single setting that slowly transforms over the course of the story—recalls books by Mitsumasa Anno, another favorite in our house. And thanks to Emma Ramadan’s translation from the French, which maintains a nice rhythm and rhyme, this is a fun book to read aloud. Who Left the Light On? joins a growing collection of (much-needed) kids literature that portrays diversity as a source of inspiration and strength. This is Yonder Books’s first picture book, and I’m eagerly awaiting the next.”
—Karen Phillips, Words Without Borders Executive Director
“A picture-book ode to the power of creative nonconformity, Who Left the Light On? achieves a rare trifecta: a loosely rhyming book in translation with brilliant illustrations. Mix in important themes—embracing diversity and expressing oneself—add a huge dollop of whimsy, and you have the ingredients to this charming tale. But the sum of the parts is considerably more than just that.”
—Nanette McGuinness, Global Literature in Libraries Initiative
“In a neighborhood where all the houses are exactly the same, differences slowly creep in. At first, no one knows who left the light on. But, by the end the neighborhood has embraced the many ways to be. A deceptively simple look at diversity and self-expression.”
—Christopher Green, Bookworm of Edwards (Edwards, CO)
“A beautiful book .... characterized by respect and tolerance for difference and creativity.”
—Viverelivre
“The text, short and accurate, just hits the mark. The final conclusion is like a cherry on top of the cake. To savor!”
—Overblog
About the Author
A former student of visual arts, Richard Marnier is a writer and an artist. In his work, he mixes sculptures, drawings, and design with the conventions of writing and visual arts. Adept at children’s stories, he has published several books with the Seuil Jeunesse publisher, Les P’tits Bérets Édition, Frimousse Edition, and Edition du Rouergue.
About the Illustrator
A former student of the prestigious Ecole des Arts Appliqués and the Ecoles des Arts Décoratifs of Strasbourg, Aude Maurel has collaborated with Franco-German TV channel Arte. From animated film to still images and illustrations, she now creates her own children books, sometimes collaborating with her partner, author Richard Marnier. Aude likes to assemble words together, end to end, turning them into necklaces. She has thousands of stories to tell, some of which will become illustrated books.
About the Translator
Emma Ramadan is a literary translator based in Providence, RI, where she will soon be opening Riffraff, a bookstore and bar. She is the recipient of an NEA Translation Fellowship, a PEN/Heim grant, and a Fulbright scholarship.
Book Details
Hardcover: $21.99
ISBN: 9781632061898
Publication date: Nov 20, 2018
9” x 9” • 32 pages
Children’s Picture Book—Diversity • Ages: 3–6
Territory: World English
