Hush, Little Baby: A Folk Song with Pictures

by Marla Frazee and Brian Pinkney

Book Overview

A celebrated illustrator reinvents a familiar lullaby with this story of a baby who will not stop crying and a big sister who tries to help. Hush, little baby, don't say a word, Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird. . . . A baby who howls all night, parents at their wits' end, a peddler whose wagon is filled with toys and animals, and a big sister who accidentally-on-purpose starts it all--these are the players in this delightful and original interpretation...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0152014292
• ISBN13: 9780152014292
• Release Date: August 1999
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
• Length: 40 Pages
• Weight: 0.91 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 10.5" x 8.3"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

Wonderful book for little one

What will hush the baby? "Hush, little baby, don't say a word" is a folk song that all of us as parents are familiar with. The author has taken this familiar and well-loved folk song and made it into a picture book sure to charm children, parents, and grandparents. The illustrations start with the parents, their little girl, and a sleeping baby walk past a peddler's wagon. Mom puts the baby to bed, then when she isn't looking the big sister walks over and tips the cradle over. While the parents frantically try everything to soothe the frightened child, the sister suggests they visit the peddler's cart for something. And thus Daddy returns with a mockingbird... and so the story goes. Both my two-year and five-year-old absolutely loved Hush, Little Baby when I read it to them. My five-year-old looked at the pictures several times and wanted me to sing it to her. Then the book made the round of the family while they looked at the excellent illustrations and commented on them. Some of them even made them laugh. Hush, Little Baby is a book that won't be read once and forgotten. If you sing nursery rhymes, lullabies, or folk songs to your children and can't quite remember the words to Hush, Little Baby, this is an excellent resource. Not only that but it is made out of sturdy cardboard so it will hold up to everything except possibly a teething baby. I'm keeping my copy to enjoy for my children, and later, my grandchildren. Armchair Interviews says: You won't be disappointed in Hush, Little Baby.

This is a GEM!

My 18 month old daughter loved this book. She can still recall this book though we had returned it to the library 2 months ago. She calls it "Papa book". I've just placed an order for this book, and I can't wait for it arrival.

We love this book!

If you like to sing to your child, this book is a must have! Hush Little Baby just arrived on our doorstop today and immediately my 2 1/2 year old Wendy wanted me to sing it twice over. After I had gone on to another book, she picked up this book and 'read' it to herself! I have always gotten stuck beyond the second rhyme with this song and usually sang myself into a corner, trying to make up the rest. Finally with the song in print, I can finish this song.Marla Frazee's illustrations are lavish with details, and each one truely is a work of art. The jacket mentioned that she did some research in the hills of West Virginia, at Fort New Salem to regain the feel of this lullaby's Applachian roots. The faces of the characters are so realistic for any family trying ANYTHING to calm a baby down so that everyone can get some sleep. And, true to form, the baby is calmed, just in time to greet the dawning sun.Older siblings with a new baby in the house can particularly relate to this book as the older sister offers everything in a peddlers cart, one by one, to pacify her baby brother (or sister, I can't tell).The words are 3/4" high with one line of the song for each opening. The pages flip quickly, making this book a good one for a page-turning toddler develping an interest in books. Added bonus, if the parent isn't familiar with the song, the musical score, with all the verses, is printed on the last page.I have become an instant fan of Marla Frazee's work and will continue to look for more of her books. I am so impressed with this one, it was perfect for us!

Great pictures to go with a song that is a real favorite

My older son just loves the Hush Little Baby lullaby, and so this book was a must for us. We just love the pictures! The artist is great at showing emotions on faces. You can really tell how everyone is feeling. I think this book would be a good one for a family expecting a new baby, as it's one of the few books that admits that babies can be tough---they can cry a lot and be hard to comfort---but also shows the whole family working together to try to make the baby happy. It would set a great tone for the baby to be! Really a nice book.

A classic song will now be a classic picture book too

What a super smart interpretation of a favorite old folk song! Marla Frazee's warm, funny and beautifully detailed illustrations (she's been a big favorite in our house since THE SEVEN SILLY EATERS) make us all, grown-ups included, want to "sing it" again and again.