BABY BAT’S LULLABY
by Jacquelyn Mitchard & illustrated by Julia Noonan
A mother bat serenades her sweet baby in this tender lullaby. With gentle urgings and an effusive outpouring of loving words, the mother bat coaxes her offspring to go to sleep. Mitchard’s verses convey the powerful emotion of the mother bat’s love as well as capturing the unique, fascinating appeal of bats. Evocative phrases such as “Little wings petal-light, / Little teeth sugar-white” provide a refreshing perspective on bats, revealing their more bewitching qualities. Noonan’s full-bleed oil and acrylic paintings continue the sympathetic presentation of bat life. Round-eyed and cuddlesome, baby bat is irresistibly cute as it fumbles its way through learning various maneuvers under its mother’s tutelage, “Field squeaker, / Forest streaker.” Deep twilight hues prevail in the detailed drawings, where the main focus is the loving interplay between mother and child. Cozy and comforting, Mitchard offers a perfect tale for settling youngsters down for the night—whether in a warm bed or along the eaves of a hayloft. (Picture book. 3-6)