Mockingbird - Hardcover

Ages 1^-4. Based on the folk song "Hush, Little Baby," this charming picture book plays around a bit with the familiar words and the story but keeps the general form of the repetitive verse as well as the aura of warmth and security that the song has always brought to children. Here the words suggest that Mama buys the baby a mockingbird, which doesn't sing. Papa supplies a garden swing, which gets stuck. Sister Polly contributes a pedal truck, which turns over, just in time for sister Rosie to buy a dog named Rover. And so on through the day, until baby goes to bed, maybe to dream of a mockingbird. Turn-of-the-century flavor notwithstanding, the illustrations have none of the coyness, stiffness, or sentimentality so often associated with picture books set in "the good old days." Howard captures the expressions and movements of the characters, particularly the children, with freshness and humor. The lines may be soft and the colors gentle, but there's no mistaking the disapproving wriggle of the baby when his mother wipes his face with a washcloth. Howard conveys the period through details of costume, interior decoration, and playthings, yet his meticulous attention to detail never detracts from the depiction of the characters and the story. Even if you have every other picture-book version of the song, make room for this beguiling edition. Carolyn Phelan

PreSchool-A familiar childhood lullaby becomes a family affair in this delightful variation of "Hush Little Baby." The comfortable rhythmic lyrics begin as expected with Mama buying her baby a mockingbird. But when the bird won't sing, Papa steps in with "a garden swing." Next, sisters Polly and Rosie provide "a pedal truck" and "a dog named Rover." Granny gets into the act when the dog gets away and she promises to chase him "if it takes all day." But when it starts to rain, baby is rushed inside for a big surprise: "Papa's gone and baked you...a birthday cake." Howard's watercolor-and-crayon illustrations are packed with humor and details of life in this Victorian household. Full-page illustrations balance smaller vignettes with plenty of restful white space and large, easy-to-read typeface. A well-designed layout controls the pace of the story and, despite the lack of music, readers will be singing this book aloud.
Paula A. Kiely, Milwaukee Public Library, WI
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