Orion and the Dark, an illustrated book that runs with creative energy

Somewhere between the negative space and the darkness lie Orion and the Dark. In other observations, it’s interesting how the publishing world, entertainment, and intellectual property operate. Orion and the Dark was released in 2014, but it’s gained newfound attention thanks to it becoming a show on Netflix. It’s a very cute illustrated book about a young child who has a fear of the dark. It’s a common fear that children have, as well as, some very creative artwork (and layout), allows the book to run with more energy than many of its contemporaries.

The layout in Orion and the Dark will immediately grab the reader’s attention. Some of the pages are jammed with color, others have a little white space, a couple of them are plastered with dozens of different images, and when the big bad make their entrance it’s done via a die-cut element that provides a 3D effect. Layout is an underused element in children’s books, and when you see one that utilizes it creatively and effectively it makes it stand out.

The Dark is a void whose anthropomorphic shape is a friendly blob of stars and darkness. Orion is a child with a vivid imagination who has tried everything to avoid going to bed. They’ve got a fear of everything, but their manic behavior amps up especially when the sun goes down. One night Orion’s frustrations boil over and they start to yell at the darkness that can be seen from the skylight in the roof. Suddenly, an amorphous humanoid shape comes down from the sky and sits in his room.

The Dark is obviously friendly, you can see a sly smile on its face and it tells Orion to stop being such a ninny. It doesn’t look like the things that Orion’s imagination has dreamt up, plus the Dark asks to see all of the places where said scary things live. The two go on a tour of Orion’s house to see those places and then they go around town to listen to the scary things that supposedly couldn’t be explained. With all of the Earthbound areas explored the two take a quick trip to outer space where there’s more darkness and more fun to be had. When they get back home Orion realizes that being in the physical dark can be fun and questions if he’ll ever be in the dark again.

Orion and the Dark is so charming. It’s obvious from the first time that you read this illustrated book that it stands the test of time. The book deals with a timeless issue that early elementary children have, which is a fear of the dark. The text is brief and creatively presented, which allows adult readers to pace the book fast or slow, depending upon when they’re reading it. This also allows kids to engage with the book at their own speed, spending time with it and places their fears or uncertainties with the Dark.

It’s worth mentioning that I haven’t seen the Dreamworks movie, Orion and the Dark, that’s on Netflix. The reviews that I’ve read about the film version say that it’s an insomniac version of Inside Out. However, Orion and the Dark came out as an illustrated book in 2014, a year before that film initially was released, and nine years before Elemental. Don’t worry about the chicken and the egg and which one came first.

As an illustrated book, Orion and the Dark is a great, goodnight, anytime book. It runs with imagination and allows for plenty of space for young readers to put themselves into the story or to deal with their personal fears. It also exemplifies the fact that some great books can cross over to cinematic entertainment. As someone who is personally exhausted of subpar animation or unwanted sequels that populate our cinemas, I welcome great stories being made into children’s movies. As an illustrated book, Orion and the Dark is comfort food for kids who have phobias or fears, which is every child in early elementary school.

Orion and the Dark is by Emma Yarlett and is available on Templar Books, an imprint of Candlewick Press.

There are affiliate links in this post.