Orion is scared of A LOT of things, but most of all he's scared of the dark. So one night Dark decides to take Orion on an adventure. Emma Yarlett's second picture book combines incredible illustrations and spell-binding storytelling with inventive die-cut pages that make Dark come to life in the hands of the reader!

Orion is a small boy who is scared of a lot of things, (spiders, monsters, popping balloons, girls...) but, in particular, the dark. HE has tried all sorts of remedies: eating carrots to help him see in the dark, painting his room with neon paint - nothing works. He hates bedtime, and tosses and turns in fear until one night he shouts at the dark to 'Go Away', and a dark starry shape comes alive and drops in through his skylight. More scared than ever, he remembers his manners and introduces himself. Dark shakes his hand with his own dark hand (sticking out as a flap) and takes him on an adventure. He asks Orion to show him all the scary places in the house, and rationalises the noises and shadows, and does the same with the noises in the street, but Orion is still scared of the darkest place - the night sky. They fly off, Snowman-like, and of course Orion meets the group of stars which share his name, and they think he is really cool. As the sun climbs back into the sky they go home, and now Orion doesn't want to say goodbye to his new best friend, but Dark promises he will never be far away...This illustrative style is a little similar to that of Oliver Jeffers, and certainly this is an attractive book, but, if a small child is afraid of the dark, the idea of a big dark creature turning up in the bedroom and whisking him/her up into the sky may not be very reassuring, and it should be parents who explain away the scary noises etc. Perhaps this story would help a child to tell of any fears, which could then be handled sensitively. This is a book to know about, and to make an assessment whether it is appropriate for the children around you.