A Week of Lullabies

An illustrated collection of lullabies and bedtime poems by authors including Nikki Giovanni, Tennyson, and Jack Prelutsky, grouped by days of the week.

Kindergarten-Grade 2 The format of this collection of night poems is uniquetwo lulla bies for each day of the week. Poets represented include Nikki Giovanni, Karla Kuskin, Jack Prelutsky, and Margaret Wise Brown. The artwork is spectacular: boldly colored, full-page paintings, each with a delightful, de tailed border, have a pleasing childlike quality. The illustrations face plain white pages, each containing a poem or lullaby. Unfortunately, the quality of the poems selected for this collec tion is uneven, and the art work sur passes most selections. Because of the artist's wonderful use of form and col or, the book shouldn't be ignored. However, Susan Russo's The Moon's the North Wind's Cookie (Lothrop, 1979; o.p.), Jack Prelutsky's My Par ents Think I'm Sleeping (Greenwillow, 1985), and Charlotte Pomerantz' All Asleep (Greenwillow, 1984) all com bine lovely illustrations with consis tently lyrical poems and capture per fectly a child's feelings about the night. Barbara S. McGinn, Oak Hill Elementary School, Severna Park, Md . -
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Two lullabies accompany each day of the week in this brightly illustrated book. The poems vary in tone and topic and are randomly assigned to particular days. Margaret Hillert's "A Christmas Lullaby" appears for Monday bidding children to "Sleep like the animals sleepily curled/ In soft little nests in a winter white world." N. M. Bodecker's "Bedtime Mumble" offers bedtime fun for Friday: "A cherry pip,/ a turnip tip,/ A snippet in the snow,/ a snail, a rail,/ a lobster tail,/ the guppy has no toe." Poems by Tennyson, Nikki Giovanni, Karla Kuskin, Gwendolyn Brooks, Margaret Wise Brown and Elizabeth Coatsworth are printed on a white page, in stark contrast to the cheerful paintings opposite. With bold colors on a flat canvas, the borders of Russo's pictures are filled with flowers, animals and homey quilt squaresperfect for a nighttime snuggle. Ages 4-up.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.