Hush! A Thai Lullaby

Ho, Minfong. 1996. HUSH! A THAI LULLABY. Illustrated by Holly Meade. New York: Orchard Books. 3-1551-03127-2771.

Plot Summary
In this Caldecott Winner, we learn a lullaby from Thailand. As a mother puts her child to sleep, she asks several animals to hush since her baby is sleeping. The irony in the story is that the baby is seen in the background not doing much sleeping at all.

Analysis
What is a mother to do if animals are strutting about making noises while her little one is drifting off to sleep?

“Wee-Wee,” A small mosquito
“Jeed-Jeed,” A fat gray mouse…
With illustrations that incorporate deep earth tones of orange and browns and with simple text-- but with a melodious repetitive refrain, the mother hushes the animals that roam about in order to allow her baby to sleep peacefully.

This melodic and repetitive refrain invites the listeners to join in:

Lizard, Lizard,
Don’t you cry,
My baby’s sleeping right nearby.

There is a secondary story in the background since the supposedly sleeping child is depicted in most illustrations as a busybody.

In the description of each animal the author inserts adjectives,
a long-tailed lizard,
a lean black cat,
a fat gray mouse…

These are simple enough for a preschooler to begin understanding the concept of describing words. These also would be of great benefit to English Language Learners in understanding adjectives and increasing their vocabulary. Likewise, the lullaby is also rich in the use of present progressive tenses -- wonderfully helping second language learners and toddlers to increase their vocabulary.

Who’s that weeping…
Who’s that peeping
Who’s that creeping…
The illustrator, Holly Meade, depicts the mother and child in a tan skin hue. And we take notice of the hut with the straw roof and the lack of electricity -- all of this accurately portraying Thailand's countryside. In her use of collage, she pays careful attention to detail. We can see the ridges in the elephant's legs, for example.
There may be some initial concern when we notice the character’s eyes in some illustrations are depicted as slits, without pupils -- but I feel this was done merely to show that their eyes were closed.

While there is no author’s note to provide background information regarding the lullaby, the author does dedicate the book to her father, stating that his wonderful stories would leave her more wide-eyed than sleepy as she was growing up. The author does; however, provide the subtitle of “A Thai Lullaby," thus informing the reader of the specific Asian group from which this lullaby originates.

Our family quickly took to this book. This has become a favorite bed time story. Like the author, this story often left my daughter more wide-eyed than sleepy. My three year old daughter made it a point to look for the child on each page and determine what exactly he was up to. Without a doubt this would make a fantastic read aloud. This book would also make a beautiful addition to a home or classroom collection.

Review Excerpts
"The setting, apparently a remote Thai village, is gently evoked in cut paper and ink pictures that are bold enough to be used with groups. The unusual compositions are visually arresting, thanks, in part, to bright orange outlines, and the comforting earth tones suit the quiet nature of the story" --from Booklist

"Exceptionally beautiful cut-paper-and-ink illustrations in earth tones use the varied textures of the paper to wonderful effect, depicting traditional Thai textiles, basketry, and building styles. All of young children's favorite elements are here: a reassuringly predictable, rhyming text, animals and their sounds, a mischievous subplot in the pictures, and an ever-so-slightly naughty child who fools everyone in the end. A sure winner."--From Kirkus Reviews

Connections
Other titles by the author include:

Peek!: A Thai Hide and Seek
Maples in the Mist: Children's Poems from the Tang Dynasty
Brother Rabbit: A Cambodian Tale
Website:
http://members.authorsguild.net/minfong/