From my Point of View - Book Review

I've been reading a lot more in the children's literature area lately and every once in a while I come across a book I really, really like. This month I found Hush: A Thai Lullaby by Minfong Ho and illustrated by Holly Meade. I discovered it through my nephew's homework. His teacher assigns her class a certain number of what she calls "Book Memories" each month. She hands out a list of books for the kids to choose from and in January Hush! was one of them. I love this project much more than my nephew does. For each book she has a few questions that the student must answer - one usually covers what the book is about and the other makes the child think about how he/she can make a connection between the book and his/her own life.

Hush! is a beautiful story, written in verse, about a mother who is trying to keep all the animals quiet while her baby is sleeping. She hushes every animal as she hears their sound. But if the kids are watching the pictures, they'll see how well the baby's really sleeping and who's asleep in the end. The use of verse and repetition makes the story almost melodic. It works really well as a quiet time or a bedtime story.

This book is a fun way to offer some cultural exposure to children. It is very engaging and beautifully illustrated, in fact, it was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1997. This is one I'll be adding to my collection. I'd highly recommend taking this one home to share with your children at bedtime.

Elizabeth