Ellin Greene

Storyteller extraordinaire Greene has revisited and revised a soothing lullaby, first presented by the Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould in the 1890s. The sentiments of a mother's love for her child avoid being mawkish thanks to evocative lines such as "No silk was ever spun so fine/​As is the hair of baby mine./​My baby smells more sweet to me/​Than smells in spring the elder tree." Double-page spreads in lovely pastel hues reinforce the gentle tone, showing mother and child amid fairies and elves in a woodland setting. Music is included, as are all of the verses. A detailed author's note tells the history of the lullaby and provides insight into Baring-Gould's work in preserving folk music. A foldout page near the back may be problematic for some libraries, but the book will still become a bedtime favorite: "And it's O! sweet, sweet!"
--Bina Williams, Booklist.

"There is a lovely harmony between the visual and verbal elements here, making this a sibilant, sentimental mood piece."
--Kirkus Reviews

"Greene's text has a lovely, crooning lilt...tranquil visual storytelling."
--Publishers Weekly

"Based on an old English folk song, these tender rhymes - "no silk was ever spun so fine/​as is the hair of baby mine" - will soothe even the crankiest youngster while the soft-toned pastels lull little eyes to sleep. The artist's images of fairies recall the beautiful, mysterious sprites of Shakespeare's time rather than today's spangly version.
--Washington Parent

"A traditional English lullaby is transformed into a soft and sweet book illustrating a mother's love. Fairies and sprites dance in the pastel-drawn illustrations that accompany the lyrical prose. The back of the book also contains a music sheet on how to play the song and all of the lyrics, as well as a note about the song. This would be a great gift for new mothers."
--Parent Magazine