Bayou Lullaby [Library Binding]

Kathi Appelt (Author), Neil Waldman (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

Images of a soft and sleepy bayou are combined with rhythmic verses and depict drifting alligators, dozing herons, and a chorus of tree frogs that sings, fais dodo, fais dodo, in a gentle representation of a Cajun lullaby.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Like the easy, winding bayou, slow Cajun rhythms swing through this night song: "Rockabye you bayou gal,/ Cattails be a-swishin'/ Softly sigh, oh bayou gal,/ On a star be wishin'." Appelt weaves regional details with universal images that summon up the floating, swaying sensations of sleep: a "pirogue" (boat) gently bobbing "atop the water chocolat"; a bullfrog's voice stretching in crescendo ("King Armand be whistlin'/ To crawdads 'neath the waves"), then quieting toward dawn; water wending toward the sea through the dark tangled roots of cypress trees. Distinctive speech rhythms and rhymes rest lightly on the ear; nouveau Cajun devotees will find a helpful glossary of six important words (the term "Cajun," however, receives no definition). Waldman's art (The Tyger; Light) seems more playful and more dynamic here than previously. Against the black of night, his stylized acrylic paintings extend their blue palette toward violet and green. An inspired pairing of author and artist. Ages 2-up.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Up?Appelt has written a rhythmic, soothing lullaby for a little girl who lives in a house by the banks of the bayou: "Rockabye, you bayou gal,/Cattails be a-swishin'/Softly sigh, oh bayou gal,/On a star be wishin'." The verse is evocative and lovely, but the true merit of the book lies in Waldman's double-page acrylic paintings. Each scene is a self-contained work of art and a visual feast. He has set the swamp's luminous flora and fauna against a velvety black background, and richly fluorescent shades of greens, purples, blues, and teals decorate the pages. A stunning picture book.?Judy Constantinides, East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Library Binding: 1 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (March 15, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688128572
• ISBN-13: 978-0688128579
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,874,235 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a wonderful gift for anyone with kids, January 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Bayou Lullaby (Hardcover)

A very sweet book. My daughter loves hearing it at night. the illustarations are some of the best I've seen, and the way the story is woven is beautiful. I'd reccomend it to anyone with kids as a peaceful beautiful book to calm down the little crazies after a full day of soccer or video games.

4.0 out of 5 stars perfect for bedtime, January 11, 2006

By 

Turtletracker (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bayou Lullaby (Hardcover)

I enjoy books which include dialect, causing anyone who reads it to be thrust into the part of the character. This book does a wonderful job of this. The illustrations use deep, rich colors of a swamp in the night, creating a sombre feeling as one reads. It is an excellent bedtime story for all ages.

5.0 out of 5 stars Bayou Lullaby, February 11, 2001

By 

Melanie Randolph (Longview, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bayou Lullaby (Hardcover)

This is my all time favorite children's book. I found it in a children's book store in New Orleans several years back and have memorized the words to lull my youngest to sleep at night.

Anyone who has ever been in the land of the Cajuns or seen the, "muddy waters chocolate , where tadpoles hide and seek," will be enchanted with this dreamy tale.