3 Review(s)

A book of traditional lullabies with a difference. Gathered from all over the world, these beautiful, simple songs give a flavour of different parts of the world as well as showing that soothing a baby to sleep is the same the world over. With words in the original language plus the English version, together with a melody line and delightful illustrations by Pam Smy, this is the perfect gift book for parents of new babies. The lullabies come from: Australia (Aboriginal) Austria Bangladesh Brazil Czech Republic England France Greece Greenland Hungary India Iran Iraq Italy Jamaica Japan Korea Malawi Mexico Nigeria Norway Russia Spain Turkey USA (Hopi) Wales West Africa (Yoruba). Listen to an excerpt from Hush, Baby, Hush! by clicking the Resources tab. 1983. We were on a beach in Jamaica. Sunburnt. A man came along selling long leaves of aloe vera to soothe the blistered skin of tourists. His name was Herbert and he had a great beach cry that really got your attention, a sing-song chant that lured you to his basket. We bought a few fronds and struck up a conversation.As usual, we were packing a tape recorder, looking for lullabies and other traditions for our Kitchen Sisters stories on NPR. At first Herbert sang us Chi Chi Buddo, a classic Jamaican children's song. Then he sang us a gorgeous gospel. About an hour later he sang us Hush Baby Hush, as the waves broke behind him, a song his mother sang to him when he was a boy.