Review by Booklist Review
The children's song Over in the Meadow is gently recast as a nocturnal lullaby from all the jungle mamas to their babies. From the rhino with her single child to the elephants with their 10 babies, the story follows a variety of animals with an ascending number of offspring as they settle in for the night. Using pastel-hued acrylics and colored pencils, Butler creates dreamy and dusky landscapes certain to soothe the wildest of human beasts. The book can be read or easily sung to the familiar tune (though unfortunately the music is not included in the back pages). When the story reaches the tenth example, a die-cut fold-out page adds a nice element of surprise as it allows us to see every last elephant snuggling along a grassy bank. Parents will enjoy this intimate way to introduce bedtime and animals to their fidgety little ones.--Williams, Bina Copyright 2009 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-The sun is setting in the jungle, and animal mothers are gathering their babies close to settle them for the night. Each mother encourages her little one(s) to go to sleep with soft words of comfort in this counting book, beginning with a rhino saying, "Sleep" to her one baby, a monkey softly urging, "Rest" to her two babies, etc., until finally, elephants assemble their ten babies to rest by the river, as shown in a foldout. The song "Over in the Meadow" is the inspiration for the book's verses. What distinguishes this title is its stunning illustrations. The story begins with a hint of daylight in the background, and with each subsequent spread the sun gradually sets in tones of pink, lilac, violet, and then deep blue as the moon gently rises and stars appear in the night sky. The animals are depicted in their natural settings in soothing shades that are sure to bring about the calm that encourages sleep. A lovely addition.-C. J. Connor, Campbell County Public Library, Cold Spring, KY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Following the format of the familiar "Over in the Meadow," this gently illustrated book is a calmer version of those that have recently been published. As the sun sets, a rhino settles her child down for sleep and a monkey makes a bed for her two babies. "It was bedtime in the jungle, / And beneath a shady tree / A leopard tucked her paws / Around her babies three. / 'Snuggle,' said their mother. / 'We'll snuggle,' said the three. / And they snuggled up together, beneath the shady tree." And so the counting continues, through wolf, tiger, peahen, wild pig, duck, crocodile and elephants. In contrast to the original, which encourages actions and participation, this lulls listeners with words like nestle, cuddle, hush, settle and snooze. Nicely paired with the soporific text are Butler's realistic acrylic-andcolored-pencil illustrations. Soft colors and subtle textures lure readers into the scenery. Easily fitting the original tune, this is sure to send many little ones off to dreamland. (Picture book. 2-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
