Lullabies: An Illustrated Songbook [Hardcover]

Metropolitan Museum of Art (Author), Richard Kapp (Editor), Various Artists (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up

Words and music for thirty-seven of the most beloved traditional lullabies are gathered in this lavishly illustrated songbook. From the enduring “Rock-a-Bye Baby” to the winsome “Brahms’ Lullaby” to the amusing “Little Boy Blue,” each song is thoughtfully matched with works of art from the Metropolitan Museum’s vast collections. Paintings by Vincent van Gogh and Mary Cassatt, a photograph by Eliot Porter of his infant son, and an Eskimo stone carving of a mother and child are among the many works that grace the pages of this stunning book.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

K Up?A beautiful combination of art and music as, once again, artwork from the Metropolitan Museum of Art illustrates classic lullabies. As was true in Go In and Out the Window (Holt, 1987) and Songs of the Wild West (S & S, 1991), the art gives each of the songs its own personality and underlines both its message and its feeling. "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," "Toora Loora Loora," and "Rock-a-Bye, Baby" are among the selections included. Scenes of mother and baby are everywhere. Works from artists such as American Maurice Prendergast, accompanying the song "Baby's Bed's a Silver Moon," and French artist Maurice Boutet de Monvel illustrating the lullaby "Fais Dodo" wrap this book in an aura of love and gentleness. The photographs are particularly effective. Alma Lavenson's "Hand Studies?Child with Doll" illustrates "Rock-a-Bye, Baby," conjuring up images of children everywhere rocking their "babies." Eliot Porter's "Jonathan," showing a blissfully sleeping baby, thumb in mouth, is perfectly paired with "All Through the Night." This is a lovely book for parents, grandparents, and lovers of babies everywhere. The songs have arrangements that capture both the mood and the sense of the selection. Unfortunately, many of them are arranged so that at least one page must be turned to play the whole song. A minor flaw in an otherwise stellar collection.?Jane Marino, Scarsdale Public Library, NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, known colloquially as The Met, is an art museum located on the eastern edge of Central Park, along what is known as Museum Mile in New York City, USA. It has a permanent collection containing more than two million works of art, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, often referred to simply as "the Met," is one of the world's largest art galleries, and has a much smaller second location in Upper Manhattan, at "The Cloisters," which features medieval art.

Represented in the permanent collection are works of art from classical antiquity and Ancient Egypt, paintings and sculptures from nearly all the European masters, and an extensive collection of American and modern art. The Met also maintains extensive holdings of African, Asian, Oceanic, Byzantine and Islamic art. The museum is also home to encyclopedic collections of musical instruments, costumes and accessories, and antique weapons and armor from around the world. A number of notable interiors, ranging from 1st century Rome through modern American design, are permanently installed in the Met's galleries.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art was founded in 1870 by a group of American citizens. The founders included businessmen and financiers, as well as leading artists and thinkers of the day, who wanted to open a museum to bring art and art education to the American people. It opened on February 20, 1872, and was originally located at 681 Fifth Avenue.

As of 2007, the Met measures almost a quarter mile long and occupies more than two million square feet

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books (October 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152017283
• ISBN-13: 978-0152017286
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 9.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #167,161 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful lullabies, December 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Lullabies: An Illustrated Songbook (Hardcover)

This book is gorgeous. My husband and I are new parents and it has been a joy to sing these clasic lullabies for our new son. The CD is marketed by amazon under the classical music section. It's entitled Lullabies: A songbook companion. It is beautifully recorded. The set is the perfect gift for new parents.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The words, score, illustrations -- and the music!, March 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Lullabies: An Illustrated Songbook (Hardcover)

This book should be given with the CD (ESS.A.Y 1054) also made by Kapp. The combination is one of the finest presents imaginable for first-time parents. The same lullabies are sung by a fine professional soprano, Julianne Baird, and by Kapp's daughter Madeline. Mela Tenenbaum plays violin and viola and Kapp is at the piano, sometimes joining the singing. What joy and pleasure! How could amazon.com have failed to promote the two items together?

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lush and lovely, March 29, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Lullabies: An Illustrated Songbook (Hardcover)

This beautiful book has gorgeous slick illustrations from the Metropolitan Museum of Art as well as clearly printed piano scoring to accompany the lullabies. It is by far the best book of its kind I've seen. I send it to every new baby on my list and hope it never goes out of print!