A LULLABY FOR DADDY

by Edward Biko Smith ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1994

A bedtime story about an African-American child, Rosie, who overhears her father singing to her mother before he takes Rosie upstairs to bed. Rosie decides she wants to make a song for Daddy, and he helps her compose it. The next night, after dinner, Rosie tells Mommy about the song she and Daddy made. When it is time for bed, Rosie surprises Daddy by remembering the words to the song and she happily drifts off to sleep while Daddy sings their lullaby. A sweet story about the power of giving -- from parent to child, and child to parent. Rosie's lullaby, with notes and words, appears at the end of the book. There's another self-proclaimed agenda here as well: to portray a stable, loving African-American marriage, with a father who is an active participant in raising his child. A tad didactic, but the need to convey the message doesn't seriously detract from the story. What does, however, are the flat, amateurish illustrations.

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1994

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 32

Publisher: "Africa World (P.O. Box 1892, Trenton, NJ 08607)"

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1994

Categories: CHILDREN'S