Hush Little Baby by Sylvia Long

From Barnes & Noble

In this perfect board book edition of Sylvia Long's Hush Little Baby, Mama comforts her little bunny with assurances of a warm bedspread after storytime, lightning bugs "if that teddy bear won't hug," and a harvest moon if the "banjo's out of tune." A thoughtful and warm reworking of the classic lullaby.

From the Publisher

A bestseller now in a board book with a rattle! Slyvia Long's beloved book is now available in a gift set for babies. The boxed set includes Hush Little Baby in a sturdy board book edition and a soft bunny rattle that fits perfectly around a crib railing. Infants will love playing with this friendly, flannel bunny toy and parents will be charmed by the book's beautiful illustrations and wonderful, loving message.

Publishers Weekly

In her reworking of the classic lullaby, Long intentionally de-emphasizes the materialism of the original, making no promises of such grand gifts as a diamond ring or horse and cart. Rather, this Mama character-one of Long's (illustrator of Ten Little Rabbits) familiar, gentle bunnies-comforts her cotton-tailed child with vows to share the sound of cricket calls and a song on her banjo, the sight of a shooting star and the harvest moon and, finally, "As that moon drifts through the sky,/ Mama's going to sing you a lullaby." Blending images of nature with such timelessly reassuring items as teddy bear and picture book, Long's song is gracious if not especially inventive. The art, meanwhile, is both soothing and diverting. While the audience (like Mama's cooperative offspring) may well find their eyelids growing heavy, they will be happily distracted by the pictures' fetching particulars: a patchwork quilt displaying miniature renditions of objects mentioned in the lullaby and, on the bedside table, a book illustration that hints that this sleepy rabbit is reading the same book that they are. Ages up to 5. (Mar.) FYI: Notecards (set of 16, $9.95, ISBN 0-8118-1643-5) and a 10"-tall plush doll ($14.95, -1792-X) based on the book are being released simultaneously.

Publishers Weekly

When Sylvia Long's Hush Little Baby appeared in 1997, PW said that the artist's interpretation of the traditional lullaby "blends images of nature with timelessly reassuring items."

Children's Literature

Long has created her own version of this traditional song; one in which the parent and child share "the natural things around them and the warmth of a mother's love." The picture book version has been reduced in size and reproduced here as a board book. The charming illustrations provide the right amount of detail for a young child. The interaction between mother bunny and her little bunny will encourage their human counterparts to sit closely and hug one another. An added bonus in this package is the little bunny plush rattle (dressed like the bunny in the book), curved to fit around a crib railing. This gift package is a great way to encourage parents to start reading to a child. 2000 (orig. 1997), Chronicle Books, Ages 3 mo. to 2, $16.95. Reviewer: Sharon Salluzzo—Children's Literature

Kirkus Reviews

In a variant of the traditional lullaby, a mother rabbit draws on the natural world at the close of day for her young child's bedtime ritual.

Hummingbird, cricket, shooting star, and lightning bug are featured in the evening observances a mother makes for her child as shadows fall. After dark, the scenes move indoors, and the child's bedtime is prefaced with a story, a warm quilt, a teddy bear, and a song: "When that star has dropped from view, Mama's going to read a book with you. When that story has been read, Mama's going to bring you a warm bedspread." The artwork is cloned from Long's illustrations for Jonathan London's Liplap's Wish (1994, not reviewed), with her trademark rabbits frequently depicted in warm embraces. Star-studded pajamas, designer carrot curtains, and a patchwork quilt showing each story element make for a contemporary version of the "great green room" most children already know so well. A caveat: Squeamish children will not be soothed by the realistic depictions of the cricket and lightning bug mentioned in the song. The musical score is not included, but adults and listeners won't be able to refrain from humming or singing along.

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