Illustration of a man and a young girl inside a car at night. The man is driving, and there is a red pin and an ocean visible through the windshield. The scene is styled with bright, textured colors.

United States/Anne Schwartz Books
Brazil/Pequena Zahar

Order

  • WINNER of the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award

  • Finalist for the 2026 Kirkus Prize

  • Finalist for the Golden Pinwheel Contest at the 2026 Shanghai International Chinese Children’s Book Festival

  • A Kirkus Most Anticipated Children’s Books of Spring 2026

  • A Brightly Most Exciting Picture Books Coming in 2026

  • SIX STARRED reviews ★★★★★★

  • Asian American History 101

  • Publishers Weekly In Conversation

  • Picture Book Buzz

Book cover titled "Navigating Night" with an abstract blue night scene, rain, and a lit-up storefront labeled "Peking House."
Illustration of a man and a girl with paper-wrapped food containers walking in the rain through a dark parking lot with a delivery truck. The right page has text describing a nighttime scene with a delivery person handling takeout containers.
Illustration of a person with black hair looking out from inside a car, with a side mirror showing a yellow-lit building, creating a colorful, watercolor-like scene. Contains text: "But I don't want to be a good kid. I want to be a normal kid."
Illustration of two children, a girl in a green jacket and hat holding a Coca-Cola bottle, and a boy in a yellow jacket with a tray of food, inside a home. A person is seen through the doorway carrying more trays of food in the background.
Illustrated children's storybook showing a rainy night scene with a car driving through a neighborhood, a person looking out a window, and a child reading a map with worried expression.
Child sitting on an airplane looking out the window at the city lights of New York City at night.
Open children's book with illustrated night scene. Left page shows two children in a school bus at night, looking out the window at dark sky and clouds. Right page shows a car waiting at a traffic light under a moonlit sky.

Trade Reviews

  • ★ “Kang creates her gorgeous, moody illustrations in gouache, crayon, colored pencil, and pastel… An impressively realistic, heartfelt exploration of family dynamics and illuminating understanding.”

    —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

  • ★ “Ingeniously rendering the stormy drive, blue-hued spreads of gouache, crayon, pencil, and pastel illustrations capture the child’s emotions…The creators highlight a distinct bond and sacrifices made across generations.”

    —Publishers Weekly, starred review

  • ★ "Kang’s dynamic mixed-media illustrations mirror the story’s emotionally resonant arc, moving from discomfort and tension to understanding and connection... An homage to love and resilience."

    —The Horn Book, starred review

  • ★ “Lush illustrations in gouache, crayon, colored pencil, and pastel beautifully evoke the rainy setting and emotional arc of the story... Together, the realistic writing and expressive artwork create an insightful and moving portrayal of family, sacrifice, and connection within the immigrant experience.”

    —Booklist, starred review

  • ★ “Kang’s drizzly-night illustrations will have you riveted with an incomparably skilled, atmospheric depiction of rain. Navigating Night is a gentle picture book whose underlying messages about kindness and love will resonate with readers of all ages and backgrounds.

    —BookPage, starred review

  • ★ “Leung and Kang have drawn on their own memories to craft this heartfelt look at concerns familiar to children of immigrants. Reminiscent of Andrea Wang’s Watercress and Bao Phi’s A Different Pond, this moving tale will resonate with a wide audience of readers and deserves a place in all libraries.”

    —School Library Journal, starred review

  • ★ “Angie Kang’s lush, evocative illustrations rendered in gouache, crayon, colored pencil, and pastel are outstanding. Combined with Leung’s text, the result is a thoughtful story about the sacrifices made by both immigrant parents and their children.”

    —Cooperative Children’s Book Center, starred review