A. G. Ford (1)

Afamily goes through their evening routine, ending with putting the “sweet brown baby” to bed.

A young black couple plays with their baby on a blanket on a large expanse of grass in front of a white, two-story home. The sun sets and they go inside, where rhyming verses bring the family through playtime with pots to a messy spaghetti dinner in the high chair, followed by a bath, kisses, dancing to Coltrane, a story, and a tuck-in. Spanish words are organically sprinkled throughout the show more English text—“Look, mi hijo,” and “Vamos, fussy baby”—making this one of few picture books to represent Afro-Latinx families. The mother and father, both dressed in jeans, share the parenting time and duties equally, cooking, cuddling, bathing, and tucking in the baby together. A bright golden glow bathes the indoor scenes in a warm light. Details such as the baby’s one tooth and the one-eye-open peek shared with Papi during grace at dinnertime make Ford’s pictures palpably sweet. Brown’s simple text masters the rhythmic cadence of a classic bedtime book, making this a likely new favorite for many families.

A perfect read-aloud for bedtime. (Picture book. 1-5) show less

A pair of parents gush over their perfect baby, even when baby is a bit imperfect, like getting messy while eating and turning cranky when tired.

Despite "lullaby" being part of the title, the book's text isn't exactly lyrical, but it's certainly soothing and it does rhyme. I love the portrayal of what appears to be an Afro-Latino family, with some Spanish words interspersed on nearly every page. These words aren't defined but they are pretty basic and/or able to be understood with context show more clues.

This is a beautiful book that is perfect for a bedtime story or lapsit read. I could see it being very popular as a gift at baby showers and the like. Love practically emanates from every bright page spread, with the sun-soaked vibrant yellow used in the illustrations that portray a happy family. A baby couldn't help but feel loved when read this title by caregivers. show less

So sweet. Incorporates a little Spanish into lovely rhyming text and one family's evening routine.

sweet baby story; a few Spanish words
Nice rhyme