Evening Fears
Laurie Agusti

Are you afraid of turning the light off? Keeping it on may be even worse!

At bedtime, turning off the lamps that light up the familiar objects of the bedroom can be quite an adventure. The child narrating this story is rather brave: he mentally draws an emergency evacuation plan and leaves the door ajar so that a reassuring ray of light crosses it. But it turns out this feeble light is just what plays with the darkness of the room to change it into a scary theatre! In the child’s imagination, the tinsels and lamps become immense spider webs; the shadows transform into the fur of a gigantic monster; even worse, the bedroom turns into a classroom! Fortunately, the child finally reassures himself and falls asleep… leaving way for a gang of nice night monsters to party joyfully!

An original way to deal with a classic theme: the child plays with his fear of night time to tame it and eventually takes refuge in sleep with delight. By Laurie Agusti, winner of the 2023 Comic Middle Grade Bologna Ragazzi Award for Un Matin (text by Jérôme Dubois).

Laurie Agusti
The author and illustrator

A graduate from the Arts Décoratifs of Strasbourg, Laurie Agusti is the author of children’s books and comic books. She published La Ronde des singes and L’Immeuble d’à côté at Albin Michel Jeunesse (Trapèze) and Sortie de nuit and Le Beau chat at éditions Biscoto. Her drawings have also been subject to several exhibitions.