Do you know anyone who likes to read about the creatures of the dark or just night in general? Try some of these new nocturnal books for children! These books will help you learn about the creatures awake at night as well as other books about the night.

As of this writing, all of these titles are owned by the Davenport Public Library. Descriptions are provided by the publishers.

Bat planet : the mysterious life of the creatures of the night by Neil Griffin

Bats are all around us and have coexisted with humans for hundreds of thousands of years.

They live in our attics and under our porches. Bats account for 20 percent of all mammal species on Earth and live on every continent (except Antarctica). Some are as small as a bumblebee and others have wingspans that could envelop an adult human. Bats eat up to 1,000 mosquitoes an hour, making our summertime camping trips more bearable. They live in colonies with thousands of their cousins, where they hang upside-down and groom each other, like monkeys hanging from monkey bars. These winged wonders have zipped and pinged through the night skies for seventy million years, but today almost 25 percent of bat species are at risk of extinction. In Bat Planet, discover the biology, habitat, risks to survival and how you can help one of the most widespread, diverse and fascinating groups of animals on Earth. – Orca Book Publishing

Black out! : animals that live in the dark by Ginjer L. Clarke, illustrated by Pete Mueller

Did you know that the luna moth only flutters around at night–or that is has a wingspan as wide as a bowl of soup? This reader is packed with interesting facts about all the creepy animals that we never get to see during the daytime, like the barn owl, the blind cave fish, and the vampire squid. – Penguin Young Readers

Nocturnal : animals after dark by Lucas Riera, illustrated by Ángel Svoboda.

The incredible world of the animals, plants, and other natural phenomena that live their lives throughout the night.

Most living things are active as long as the sun shines in the sky, but at dusk, when the light dims, life continues. The moonlight illuminates the Earth, plants come to life, animals awaken and some organisms glow like jewels in the dark. For these creatures, plants and natural phenomena, the night falls and another day begins. Nocturnal is a beautiful invitation to come along and learn all about these mysteries of the night. – Hardie Grant Publishing

Saving the night : how light pollution is harming life on Earth by Stephen Aitken

Light pollution threatens the survival of every living species on our planet, including people.

It started when Thomas Edison invented the first light bulb more than 150 years ago. Then, as electric light became more common, light pollution began to take over cities and towns. Today, in urban centers all over the world, the stars in the sky aren’t visible. Millions of people have never seen the Milky Way. In Saving the Night, we discover how plants and animals have adapted over millions of years to survive and thrive in the dark, and how artificial light can upset the balance of entire ecosystems. But there are ways we can take back the night for animals, plants and us. It starts with the flick of a switch. – Orca Book Publishers

Secrets of the Stars: 15 Bedtime Stories Inspired by Nature by Alicia Klepeis, illustrated  by Jennifer Falkner

A beautifully illustrated collection of 5-minute bedtime stories about the wildlife that comes out at night.

Every night reveals a thousand secrets… In this charming anthology of children’s stories by Alicia Klepeis readers will be guided under the light of the moon to meet the amazing animals that come out when we’re all asleep. In one story a lost wolf pup has to find its way back to its pack, while another looks at a flying fox as it goes for a midnight swim. Kids will be thrilled by the pineapplefish who has a flashlight built into its mouth, and marvel at a dung beetle that navigates by looking at the stars!

Other stories feature American alligators, Fennec foxes, wombats, snowy owls, bushbabies, flying frogs, luna moths and even a rat making its way across a sleeping city. All of these nighttime animals and their habitats are brought to life with impressive skill by illustrator Jennifer Falkner.

Each story in Secrets of the Stars is based on the real biology and behavior of these amazing wild animals, and at the end of each tale readers will find out more about the science that inspired the story. So as they drift off to sleep, they will know a little bit more about the animals that are waking up and beginning their day.

The cover features a timeless design with silver foil and a cloth texture, making this book the perfect gift. – Neon Squid

Starlight symphony by Buffy Silverman

Eee-oh-lay! Chirp-a-chirp! Rat-a-tat!

Nature is full of music. Listen in as a wood thrush, a cricket, a woodpecker, and many other animals perform a symphony under the stars. Rhyming verse and eye-catching photos will draw in animal lovers and music lovers alike!

This is a great fit for educators looking for STEAM content, bringing together animal behavior, figurative language as animals are compared to musicians, and lots of onomatopoeia. Back matter includes more about each of the featured animals and each of the featured instruments. – Lerner Publishing Group

When twilight comes : the animals and plants that bring dawn and dusk to life by Marcie Flinchum Atkins

Turn the pages of this luminous picture book to take a walk through the special moments between day and night, and discover a world full of secrets and surprises that unfold only in the twilight.

When twilight comes, nature transitions: from night to day at dawn and from day to night at dusk. Inside our homes, we are getting ready to start our days or end them, but outside, crepuscular creatures, animals that are most active at dawn or dusk are right in the middle of their days!

This engaging nonfiction picture book shows familiar animals and beautiful flowers, skunks, white-tailed deer, fireflies, morning glories, evening primroses, and more in a whole new light, focusing on the behaviors, adaptations, and activities that define each as a crepuscular creature or plant. The lushly illustrated pages demonstrate the interconnected interactions between critters and their environments, powerfully showing how each is essential to the ecosystem as a whole.

From the first page welcoming the dawn to the last page beckoning us to venture outside during the magical in-between times, this mesmerizing book encourages young readers to compare and contrast the rhythms of the natural world with the rhythms of their own days, inviting curiosity and encouraging comfort with transition times. – Chronicle Books