SLEEP RHYMES AROUND THE WORLD

From 17 peoples on five continents, 21 lullabies, with colorful illustrations by artists from each country of origin, in contrasting styles: Italian folk designs; an Afghan painting recalling manuscript miniatures; a serene Abenaki landscape in oils; a Nigerian family group in watercolors, boldly limned in black. It's good to have the verses in their original languages as well as English, but too bad that non-Roman alphabets aren't shown in addition to transliterations (while some languages— e.g., Welsh—defy pronunciation without a guide). As poetry, some selections seem saccharine (the melodies are regrettably missing), but in the light of current events, the Slovenian "God will rock you lovingly./And with angels in His gardens/you will play so blissfully" has a bittersweet dual meaning. Of particular interest here, in addition to the art, are themes in common (the security of home and family) and distinctive details (Iran's "The leopard is roaring on the mountain"; Korea's "Baby, loyal to your country, loyal to your parents"; Venezuela's "your mother...went to look for guavas"), all of which could provide a good basis for discussion. (Poetry/Picture book. 2-8)