SILLY LULLABY

This lullaby will send children to sleep in fits of giggles.

After their child puts a pair of red pajamas on their body and a stuffed duck on their head, an adult caregiver declares that it is finally time to go to sleep. The sleepy child climbs into the grown-up’s lap, settling in for what readers are led to believe will be a cozy, traditional lullaby. Instead, the caregiver sings a song rife with non-sequiturs and nonsense words such as “fibblety-fisty foo” and “zoodle.” As the song continues, the lyrics become increasingly ridiculous, referencing chickens in the bathtub, sheep in the closet, and sneakers in the freezer. Despite the nonsensical words, the lullaby lulls the child to sleep, and the adult—who now wears the stuffed duck on their head—lovingly tucks their dear “zoodle” in for a restful night. With this effort Boynton (I Love You, Little Pookie, 2018, etc.) is at her absurdist best. The illustrations, which feature her characteristic ink lines and bold blocks of color, are filled with hilarious details ranging from the demeanor of a somberly mooing owl to the wide-eyed puzzlement written across the child’s face upon hearing the lullaby’s opening lines. The rhyming text is delightful to read aloud, and the musical score incorporated into the illustrations allows parents who can read music to sing the lullaby to an actual tune.

Sure to please both young children and the adults who read to them.