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Hush! A Thai Lullaby (Paperback)
by Minfong Ho , Holly Meade (illustrator)
| Category:
Bedtime and Dreaming, Ages4-8, Children's book |
| Market price: ¥ 98.00
MSL price:
¥ 88.00
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| Stock:
Pre-order item, lead time 3-7 weeks upon payment [ COD term does not apply to pre-order items ] |
MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
A delightful, reassuring bedtime book with a unique setting. |
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Author: Minfong Ho , Holly Meade (illustrator)
Publisher: Scholastic
Pub. in: March, 2000
ISBN: 0531071669
Pages: 32
Measurements: 10.3 x 8.5 x 0.1 inches
Origin of product: USA
Order code: BC00056
Other information:
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- Awards & Credential -
The winner of 1997 Caldecott Honor book |
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- MSL Picks -
There comes a time when that sweet moment of pure uninterrupted silence is so golden, so impermanent and yet perfect, that you would gladly have conversations with any number of mosquitoes, mice, or monkeys just to sustain it. Such is the slightly panicked and oh-so-slightly fevered current of feeling running beneath Minfong Ho's 1997 Caldecott Honor winner. We've all read our share of lullaby books. Now let's read one that brings a share of interesting animals, rhythmic lyrics, and beautiful illustrations as well as a cultural background based in Thailand. Sound lovely? It is.
A Thai mother has just placed her sleeping child in a comfy hammock when she hears a mosquito crying in the wind. Softly, the mother whispers, "Mosquito, mosquito, don't come weeping. Can't you see that Baby's sleeping? Mosquito, mosquito, don't you cry, my baby's sleeping right nearby". Apparently this method of sweeter removal works, since we never hear from that bug again. But as soon as one critter quiets, another starts up a new racket. With the mosquito silent, a lizard pipes up. Then a cat, then a mouse, then a frog, then a pig, then a ... you get the picture. Each time someone new gives a cry, the mama sings her baby tune, unaware that her child has used her distraction to explore some parts of the house. By the end everyone is quiet and the mama is dozing as well. "Only Baby's wide awake, his eyes bright and round".
There are a couple nice little details in this work. First of all, the new interpretations of animal sounds: Schoolchildren are usually taught that pigs say, "oink oink". How much more interesting (and accurate), therefore, to have them say, "uut-uut, uut-uut". There's also the sense that the animals featured in this book are just your average everyday backyard creatures. This may be true in Thailand, where water buffalos and elephants aren't strangers, but for Western children such thoughts are intoxicating. Certainly there aren't that many Thai picture books out there, so it's nice to see such a rhythmic beauty as this gain a little spotlight. The words are actually the biggest draw to this tale. This isn't to say that artist Holly Meade has done a poor job. Her rambling toddler provides much of the fun in this book. It's just that if you're looking for cut-paper picture books you may be better off with the talents of David Wisniewski or Ed Young if you're hoping to be bowled over.
Obviously if you're a fan of "Hush!" then you should probably find Minfong Ho's follow up picture book, Peek!: a Thai Hide and Seek. For those amongst you willing to make this a regular bedtime tale, the story is a wonderful sleepy headed affair.
Target readers:
Kids aged 4-8
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Award-winning author, Minfong Ho, has published several novels, numerous short stories and picture books for young children. She was born in Burma and grew up in Thailand. She began her university studies in Taiwan and then moved to Cornell University where she earned a degree in economics and history. She worked as a journalist in Singapore and was a lecturer at Chiengmai University in Thailand. It was during this adult time in Thailand that she spent considerable time in local villages and was inspired to write her first novel, Rice Without Rain. In l980 she worked as a nutritionist with Cambodian refugees on the Thai border, giving rise to her novel, The Clay Marble and The Stone Goddess. She has also worked in Laos.
Minfong Ho has received many awards for her books - including the Caldecott Honor, Best Book for Young Adults given by the American Library Association, and Parent's Choice Award. She is also the recipient of the Southeast Asian Writers Award and Singapore's Cultural Medallion. Recently she has been touring the United States to talk about her books, and has become convinced that in order for her audience to understand the peoples and cultures of Southeast Asia, they must have a grasp of the history of the region. Thus she has returned to her earlier love of history by speaking to teachers and librarians on this topic at various conferences and state teaching associations.
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From John Philbrook, San Francisco Public Library
A mother, having just put her toddler to sleep, says "Hush!" to a succession of noises around her and finds out which animal is making each sound. Eventually, she hushes her whole environment and falls asleep as her baby awakens. Ho's rhymed, repetitive, onomatopoetic text employs the question-and-answer format of Bill Martin's classic Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (Holt, 1967), creating a lullaby without music. The lilting sounds, variety of wildlife (monkeys, water buffalo, elephant, etc.), and illustrations firmly anchor this mood piece in northern Thailand. Pictures combine cut paper, ink line, and watercolor in a lush, yet successfully somnolent atmosphere of browns and greens. The art greatly amplifies the text with warmth and humor as the mother makes her rounds ensuring her child's peace. It's a delightful, reassuring bedtime book with a unique setting.
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| View all 5 comments |
Sydelle Jones (MSL quote), Charlotte, NC
<2006-12-27 00:00>
The mother hushes the animals in a lilting rhyme, as my 18 month old son likes to point out the little boy in the background who isn't actually sleeping! He laughs every page, especially at the finale, when all is peaceful except for the wide-eyed baby!
An added bonus is that my son now thinks it great to "Hush!" everyone when the situation calls for it! It keeps him quiet too! I will be purchasing her other book, "Peek..." as this one is my son's absolute favorite bedtime/naptime story!
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2006-12-27 00:00>
Whenever we sit down in the nursery rocker, my daughter points emphatically at the bookshelf and says, "Huss! Huss!" This is her favorite book, at bedtime and during the day, and it has been for many months.
The highly original artwork is colorful (in a warm restricted palette sort of way) and captivating, showing scenes from varying angles and, despite it's simplicity, captures the expressions on the mother's face perfectly. The rhythm of the text is almost hypnotic. The animal sounds and pictures are very educational for a toddler, and my little one laughs at the baby in the story as he climbs out of bed and does his antics in the background, the mother unawares. My girl loves to find all the animals in the picture near the end of the book after the mother has convinced them all to, "Hush!" And she kisses the pages with her favorite animals, like the cat and the mouse, and even the pig!
The pictures convey the feel of the hot Thai evening and transport us to a world quite foreign to most, and are a whole lot of fun. The text is lulling or exciting, depending on how we read it. I absolutely recommend this book and so does my 16-month-old daughter.
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2006-12-27 00:00>
My kinder gartener, who can read, loved this book. She loved the rhyme for each animal: "Hush! Who’s that peeping? Can’t you see that baby's sleeping? ... Don’t you cry, baby's sleeping right nearby" because she could join in. It was also easy enough for her to read. I heard her repeating it in the car for several days afterward. I enjoyed it too. Great for diverse classrooms and parents of children adopted from Asia. |
Michael J. Mazza (MSL quote), USA
<2006-12-27 00:00>
Hush! A Thai Lullaby is a collaboration between writer Minfong Ho and illustrator Holly Meade. In this book, a mother tells various animals (a mosquito, a lizard, a monkey, etc.) to be quiet so that her baby can sleep. The book has a funny surprise ending.
This book is absolutely delightful. Meade's illustrations are created from cut paper and ink; these pictures are charming and colorful, and complement the text perfectly.
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View all 5 comments |
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