Brown Baby Lullaby
This sweet, rhyming bedtime story opens on a Black family of three heading inside for an evening together as the sun sets. In their home, the busy baby crawls around and bangs on pots and pans while his mother cooks dinner. At the table, the family says grace before enjoying spaghetti and meatballs (“Hands together as we bless / Food that will wind up a mess”), and then it’s bath time, dance time (they play John Coltrane), and story time before bed. Spanish words are naturally incorporated into a text that affirms Black pride in very young children by specifically calling out and praising the baby’s brownness. “Ten brown fingers, ten brown toes / Love and cherish all of those / Papi’s brilliant baby.” Above all, the love and caring of this family is palpable in both words and illustrations as both parents delight in the small activities of their child’s bedtime routine. “Lie you down and tuck you in / Buenas noches, baby / We love you… / Sweet brown baby.” ©2021 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by AG Ford
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 1-4
Age Range:
Babies/Toddlers (birth – 3)
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Format:
Picture book
Subjects:
Affirmation
Afro-Latine People
Babies
Bedtime
Families
Spanish Language
Stories in Rhyme
Diversity subjects:
Black/African
Latine
Christian
Publishers:
Farrar Straus Giroux, Macmillan
Publish Year: 2020
Pages: 32
ISBN: 9780374307523
CCBC Location: Picture Book, Brown