DECK THE HALL

Legions of parents and preschoolers across the land adore the baby bunny in starry pajamas (and the anti-materialistic sentiments) in Long’s bestselling Hush Little Baby (1997). Now the baby bunny and his parents are ready to celebrate a simple Christmas bunny-style to the words of the traditional carol, “Deck the Halls” (here changed to just one hall in the smaller rabbit household). Each left-hand page includes one line of the song with the requisite number of “Fa-la-la’s” accompanied by a small square illustration of a holiday decoration or one of the rabbit family. On each facing page is a full illustration of the bunnies decorating their house, donning their gay apparel, trolling ancient yuletide carols, and snuggling together in front of the Yule log. On Christmas day they go skating with the little bunny’s new skates, singing and playing outside “heedless of the wind and weather.” On a particularly endearing page describing yuletide treasure, the smaller illustration shows the binding of this Deck the Hall book on a shelf of Christmas titles (look closely to see a glimpse of Santa Bunny in the background). In the larger illustration the bunny family is reading the book together, with Mom and Dad in cozy bathrobes and baby in his famous starry pj’s. A yuletide treasure indeed, for Christmas gift-giving and for quick sing-alongs in story hours and before bedtime. (Picture book. 3-6)