Hula Lullaby [Hardcover]

Erin Eitter Kono (Author)

Book Description

Grade Level: P and up

Against the backdrop of a beautiful Hawaiian landscape, a young girl cuddles and sleeps in her mother's lap.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3-The sights and sounds of Hawaii are brought to life in this gentle picture book. Surrounded by hula dancers and native musicians, a little girl is lulled to sleep in her mother's lap under a starry sky. Hawaiian words are interwoven into the rhyming verses that describe the glow of the firelight, the movement of the dancers, and the rhythm of the instruments. A brief foreword defines the unfamiliar vocabulary and outlines the "Aloha Spirit." Lovely, lush paintings reminiscent of Paul Gauguin's Tahitian period illustrate the story. The design of many of the spreads effectively conveys a sense of flowing movement consistent with the motion and music portrayed. While this title is eminently suitable as a bedtime story, it could also be used with classes that are studying Hawaii.-Rosalyn Pierini, San Luis Obispo City-County Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 2. At sunset, a Hawaiian girl climbs into her mother's lap, and together they watch hula dancers as they listen to the music of traditional drums and rattles. As night falls, the mother tells her child of the mountain in the distance, the animals nearby, and the palm trees swaying above them. The rhyming text becomes almost hypnotic as night deepens around the two and, finally, the girl falls asleep. Glowing with warm colors, which seem all the more brilliant in the night scenes, the gouache-and-pencil illustrations create an idyllic vision of Hawaiian culture. The repetition of rounded forms reflects the rhythmic pattern of the verse. An affectionate, even musical bedtime book. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (May 18, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316735914
• ISBN-13: 978-0316735919
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 0.4 x 10.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #739,593 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Erin Eitter Kono wrote and illustrated HULA LULLABY, (Little Brown 2005) which won the Children's Literature Council's Excellence in a Picture Book Award and was named "Best Lullaby and Goodnight Book" by Nick Jr. Magazine; She co-authored/illustrated THE TWELVE DAYS OF WISCONSIN CHRISTMAS (Sterling 2007). She also illustrated STAR BABY by Margaret O'Hair (Clarion 2005) named on the Center for Early Literacy's "Best Book for Babies" top ten list, and was a top ten pick for ABCs Best book for Babies and Toddlers. NELLIE AND THE BANDIT by Eileen Ross (FSG 2005), PASSOVER by Roni Schotter (Little, Brown 2006), PUNK WIG by Lori Reis (Boyds Mills 2008) a Bank Street College of Education "Best Book of the Year", and GRANDMOTHER HAVE THE ANGELS COME? by Denise Vega (Little, Brown 2009

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Award Winner!, August 29, 2006

By 

Roger Kelly (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hula Lullaby (Hardcover)

"Excellence in a Picture Book" award-winner 2006 from the Children's Literature Council of Southern California!

This book is beautiful, sweet, lush, and the lines and colors are flowing and musical. A visual treat.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely lovely!, November 17, 2005

By 

A reader "A reader" (Honolulu, HI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hula Lullaby (Hardcover)

Great new author. This book is absolutely wonderful. The writing and paintings are excellent. Wherever you live, the story will immediately bring you and your child the tranquility of Hawaiian night. Lovely! I hope to see more children's books from Ms. Kono soon.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hypnotic Hula Lullaby, November 4, 2005

By 

Kim Peek - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hula Lullaby (Hardcover)

A young girl cuddles in her mother's lap and falls asleep to the soothing sights and sounds of this Hawaiian lullaby.

Extraordinary Hawaiian pictures and a soothing lullaby rhythm make this an excellent bedtime selection. Descriptive language and sensory details work with the illustrations to transport the reader to a Hawaiian dream land.

See my other reviews at YABooksCentral