Sunday, June 6, 2010

Sweet Dreams Lullaby by Betsy Snyder

Sweet Dreams Lullaby by Betsy Snyder

Rating: 4.5 sweet stars

We are blessed with good sleepers, but there are nights when Lorelei's little-but-growing mind and body are so tired she can't contain her sleepiness any longer, but still can't let go and go to sleep.  Her eyes are so red from crying, she can't concentrate on brushing her teeth or pulling on her pajamas.  She is just.  So.  Tired.  And often, by that time of early evening, I am a little tired, too.  Sometimes I pull it together and am able to think of a story when she requests one, think up a nice song if she wants one, or just find the right book.  But more often it's been a long day for all of us, so I'm glad I found this book.  (Many thanks to a new blog I'm following for the suggestion, We Heart Books!)

I'm going to write down the words to this entire book before returning it to the library.  The message is so sweet, the rhyme so rocking, the overall effect so comforting that I want to recite the poem to her on these nights when Lorelei's blue eyes are fighting to stay open.  And we all know that they should be closed.  This is one of my favorite pages: "Dream of gentle raindrop showers / Giving drinks to thirsty flowers / Hummingbirds sip water up / From teeny-tiny buttercups" and then, a few pages later, "Dream of tiptoes through the grass / And fireflies that blink and flash, / Catching night-lights floating by- / Then sending them into the sky."  This book makes me think that we should have a whole shelf of just night-time books upstairs by our kids' bedrooms, so they can pick and choose which quiet, comforting books to read before going to sleep.  If it makes them sleep till 7 AM, I'm all in!

The pictures are filled with happy scenes from nature--they are the type of backyards everyone wishes that they had, with bees buzzing happily (with no stingers attached), mama birds warming their eggs with a smile (no nasty squirrels to be seen), and humming birds sipping long enough to actually be seen (rather than zipping through, teasing you with a guest appearance).  The sky in the pictures grows darker with each page, until the smiley moon is high in the dark blue sky, and the wise old owl peeks down on the baby bunny, all tucked in.  "Sleep is near, so close your eyes. / Drift off to this lullaby. / May Mother Nature comfort you / And make your sweetest dreams come true!"

Good night!

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