Bat (2025)

She darts past us in the dark, nimble as a gymnast, swift as a jet fighter. Deadly. Thrilling. In the pitch-black midwinter, Nat, Kokos, and Dad are getting ready for a sunny holiday abroad. They plan to visit a water park, join a sandcastle competition, and stuff themselves with ice cream. But when they spot a wild, disoriented bat flitting through the dusk, fear spreads across the city and their plans scatter to the wind. Unafraid of the dark, Nat makes a fateful decision that turns their world upside down. Bat is a rather funny, somewhat frightening, and slightly philosophical story about what lurks in the dark; the unknown, the unsettling, and the uncontrollable. Bat is a rather funny, somewhat frightening, and slightly philosophical story about what lurks in the dark; the unknown, the unsettling, and the uncontrollable.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (five stars out of five) "What a fortune for children (and adults) that Rán Flygenring is a children's book author; her books and those she works on with others are all such treasures that few things compare ... The book evokes thoughts about modern-day alienation from nature, where fear is cultivated and miserable humanity always feels the need to control nature, instead of enjoying being a part of it. The book opens up reflections on darkness and light, whether we should perhaps reconsider our tendency to eliminate darkness with electric lights, and musings on all the adventurous and exciting things that dwell in the dark.

Rán's text and pictures are an inseparable whole in this book, as in her other books, a feast on every page. Bat is a true masterpiece that awakens a welcome, enjoyable shiver.