PAPA'S SONG

A bright-eyed, bushy-tailed Baby Bear turns the Bear household topsy-turvy until Papa Bear’s ingenious idea saves the night. When Baby Bear is still wide-awake at bedtime, various family members attempt to settle the little one down to sleep. Granny Bear sings a tender lullaby in the rocking chair and Grandpa Bear serenades the baby by a moonlit window, to no avail. Even Mama Bear’s song fails to send Baby Bear off to dream land. Papa Bear knows just what baby needs, taking Baby Bear out onto the river for a moonlight ride. Eloquent text describes the night sounds; “ Riffles slap the side of the bear boat, slup, slup, slup. Three little fish wriggle by and disappear beneath the water, bloop, bloop, blip.” The soothing litany of night sounds soon lulls the little one to sleep. Kate McMullan’s (Noel the First, 1996) gentle prose settles over readers like a warm, comforting blanket. Jim McMullan’s (The Earth is Good, 1999) softly shaded and slightly blurred illustrations convey the amber hued-warmth of the home and the serene beauty of twilight on the water. His glowing watercolors reflect the deep love the family has for their cherished baby. A cozy read aloud, young children will find it hard to resist the soporific spell of this perfect bedtime story. (Picture book. 3-7)