Sturdy for Common Things

Glowing Books for the Black Light Booth

No, this post isn’t about a storytime rave. The black light booth I assembled a year ago has mainly been used for art projects and light play, but lately we’ve also been using it as an enchanting way to explore books. Children’s books with fluorescent colors and/or glow-in-the-dark features spring to life in the booth!

Using ultraviolet light is magical way to spark inquiry and sheds light on objects in an entirely different way. A flower or a butterfly deatail that might not have been noticed before is all of a sudden illuminated. What has been difficult is finding books with fluorescent tones– It’s not an easily searchable feature. So, I’ve but together a short list of books, both fluorescent and glow-in-the-dark books, we’ve been enjoying under black light starting with a picture book biography of the inventors of neon colors…

Fun, right? Below is a list of books we’ve been using in the black light booth in the order they were pictured. If you have suggestions of other tiles with either fluorescent or glow-in-the-dark features, please leave your suggestion in the comments below! Interested in making your own black light booth? Learn how to make one along with ultraviolet light and art investigation ideas here.

Fluorescent Books
The Day-Glo Brothers by Chris Barton, illustrated by Tony Persiani (public library | local bookstore)
Beautiful Birds by Jean Roussen & Emmanuelle Walker (public library | local bookstore)
The Wonder Garden: Wander through 5 habitats to discover 80 amazing animals by Jenny Broom, illustrated by Kristjana S. Williams (public library | local bookstore)

Glow-in-the-Dark Books
The Game in the Dark by Herve Tullet (public library | local bookstore)
Nocturne: Dream Recipes by Isol (public library | local bookstore)
Glow-in-the-Dark Constellations by C.E. Thompson (not pictured) (public library | local bookstore)

 

 

*Beautiful Birds was provided for review by the good people at Flying Eye Books