Kirkus Reviews called the illustrations "breathtaking", noting that they "embody and enhance the text’s message that light and dark, like comfort and mystery, are not mutually exclusive, but integral parts of each other".[2]Publishers Weekly similarly wrote, "Krommes's [...] astonishing illustrations are so closely intertwined with the meticulous text that neither can be isolated without a loss of meaning".[3]
Language Arts's Marlene Beierle also commented on the illustrations, highlighting how they "convey a sense of tranquility and safety". Considering that the book is "inspired by a traditional nursery rhyme from the 1955 Oxford Nursery Rhyme Book" and "how the world has change and grown since 1955", Beierle "wonder[ed] if today's children will see themselves in this story the same way [...] their parents and grandparents do, or if the fantasy elements and the joy of both the illustrations and the tale will make it one that is destined to be read and reread".[4]
Awards and honors
In 2008, Booklist included The House in the Night on the Editors' Choice: Top of the List list.[5]
