Hush! a Gaelic lullaby

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2Gerber's lyric quatrains smoothly tell the story of getting baby to sleep as a storm rolls in on a coastal Irish farm. Sister takes down wash, brother gathers peat, mother brings it in, grandpa brings in the sheep, father fastens the shutters, grandma builds the fire, and when everyone sits around it to talk, baby finally falls asleep. The repetition in the second line of each verse adds to the lilt of the language. However, the subtitle leads readers to look for sheet music, and none is provided. The two-line note at the end explaining that the text is based on an ancient Gaelic song is of little use to someone who wants to sing it, or simply wants a little more background. The dreamlike art moves from blue, green, and gray pastels to warm brown, gold, and rose as the action moves inside and the house warms up. Tinted, textured paper allows the lighter pastels to become shimmering, glowing highlights. Few words per page allow the book to be sung to a baby, if, of course, anyone knows the tune. The surrealistic image of the mother rocking the baby with the waves rising around her may alarm very literal-minded children, but Hush! captures a certain serenity in the storm. Omnipresent seals evoke images of selkies, as if not only family but also protective spirits watch over the child. In all, a darlin' choice for bedtime collections.Helen Gregory, Grosse Pointe Public Library, MI