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Twelve award-winning illustrators (Jonathan Bean, Carin Berger, Sophie Blackall, Linda Bleck, Renata Liwska, Christopher Silas Neal, Zachariah Ohora, Eric Puybaret, Sean Qualls, Isabel Roxas, Melissa Sweet and Dan Yaccarino) have each illustrated one of Margaret Wise Brown’s previously unpublished lullabies. Accompanying the book is a twelve-song CD (approximately thirty-seven minutes long) sung by Tom Proutt and Emily Gary.
The goodnight songs included in the book and on the CD include Sleep Like a Rabbit, Little Donkey Close Your Eyes, Sounds in the Night, and When I Close My Eyes at Night. Beautiful double-page spreads showcase the songs, which range in length from one to six small paragraphs. The majority of the art comprises animals and people sleeping or boats in the water. The calming scenery features the colors of sunsets and night skies.
All the lullabies but one have rhyming text. An excerpt from When the Man in the Moon was a Little Boy:
When the man in the moon was a little boy,
Sing hi ho, the man in the moon,
He ran away with a shooting star.
Ho hum, the man in the moon.
Back material includes a note from the musicians and small biographies of the illustrators in which they talk about their inspiration for the artwork featured in the book. Whether they are read or listened to, Margaret Wise Brown’s lullabies would be a welcome addition to any child’s bedtime routine.
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Goodnight Songs: Illustrated by Twelve Award-Winning Picture Book Artists