ROCK-A-BABY BAND

Ten babies boogie down in McMullan’s ebullient offering. But it’s a multicultural quartet that takes center stage (“Charlotte plays the rattle, / Denny plays the drum, / Bip and Ling have bells to ring. / HERE THEY COME!”); raucous “backup babies” accompany them. McMullan’s snappy verse is full of action words. The chorus—“Oh, shake it, baby, shake it, / Shake it if you can. / Shake it, baby, shake it / with the Rock-a-Baby Band”—will have listeners bopping along. Bynum’s full-bleed illustrations are just as captivating. Created with digital watercolors, and employing a springy palette, the images are trimmed with strong black lines, which make them appear animated. Author and illustrator are well matched here, and the result is a rockin’ choice for preschool partiers. But be warned—according to Bip and Ling, “Rockers don’t take naps.” A CD is included. (Picture book. 3-6)