Hush! A Thai Lullaby. Minfong Ho. Illus. by Holly Meade. New York: Orchard Books, 1996. 30 pages. $15.95 (Hardcover). ISBN 0-531-09500-2. Preschool.
When you are surrounded by animals big and small, it is hard to guarantee quiet. This is a particular problem for one mother as she tried to put her baby to sleep. A mosquito weeps in the wind as a lizard peeps from the ceiling, and as soon as the mother gets them to be quiet she hears the noises of elephants, monkeys, even an old water buffalo. Once the jungle is finally quiet this mother can close her eyes, but her baby’s eyes are wide open. Minfong Ho shares a rhythmic and whimsical Thai lullaby that is sure to awaken the curiosity and silliness of small children everywhere. The rhythmic animal calls catch readers’ attention, but then the repetitive, flowing chastisement of the mother calms the nerves again. Meade’s colorful, animated illustrations are almost dreamlike, but they transport readers in to a backyard that is livelier than a zoo. Every parent knows that challenges of putting a little one to bed, and this story both acknowledges and laughs that this struggle. Recommended
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