Lullaby for Baby Bear

PreS—Baby Bear cannot fall asleep. And to top it all off, his mother has fallen asleep in the chair by his bed. At this point, adults will become amused at this all-too-common household occurrence. However, while Mommy Bear is sleeping, Mommy Ant crawls over the covers to indicate that her child is sleeping and to admonish the cub for crying with a "ssssh" and a song. The story proceeds with Mommy Bird, Mommy Cat, and Mommy Dog entering the room until the mother bear finally wakes up. Haghi's vivid artwork explores the scenes using deeply saturated colors of red, blues, and browns in varying perspectives. While the final line in each lullaby is repetitive, the entire song does not translate well as a rhyme into English. In a crowded field of bedtime stories, this one does not rise above the pack.—Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA