ROCK-A-BYE BABY

A husband-and-wife team expands the familiar lullaby in this visually packed effort. Here, baby travels with his teddy bear from the fallen branch, naps while drifting down the creek, flies through the sky with the help of sweetly singing birds, and finally lands safely in his mother’s arms. The singsong text is full of reassurances designed to make this strange journey into a pleasant and peaceful experience: with the “blanket caressing softly his cheek,” baby is “dreaming of clouds in the sky above, he’s feeling warm, and he’s feeling loved.” What makes this truly unique, however, are the multi-media collage illustrations, crafted from layers of watercolor images, dried leaves, feathers, a crocheted afghan, and even human hair. The results are pictures full of remarkable texture, depth, and color that juxtapose, for example, a muted watercolor cut-out of a baby’s head resting atop a piece of blue broadcloth. Some readers may prefer a more traditional approach to children’s illustration, but all are sure to appreciate the Adlermans’ creative artistry. (Picture book. 2-5)