Rock-A-Bye Room

PreS-Gr 2—Meyers and Bates team up again, this time for a lullaby with a distinct down-home feel. Illustrated with ink and crayon in soft hues of yellow and blue, the book depicts a young mother and her baby getting ready for bedtime. Mama, wearing a sleeveless blue gingham dress with a white ruffle at the hem, and Baby go about their nighttime routine. Mama cuddles and sings to her child, "Rock-a-bye little one,/Bedtime is soon. Rocking horse waits/In your rock-a-bye room…." Together they say goodnight to the dolls snug in their bed, to the blocks, and to an assortment of decorations on the wall, including a Kit-Cat Clock, Humpty Dumpty, and even an Elvis poster. The pair sit on a big rocking chair and share a story. When Baby falls asleep cuddling her teddy bear, Mama gently carries her to a cradle suspended from a tree. As a final note, Mama blows a kiss and sings a "rock-a-bye love song/To last the night through." Bates captures the mother's tenderness in every expression. This dreamy and comforting story will make a sweet addition to bedtime-story collections.—Roxanne Burg, Orange County Public Library, CA