Sunday, February 5, 2012

Cradle Me by Debby Slier

Star Bright Books has published so many board books where babies (and baby faces) take centre stage, and Cradle Me continues that tradition. In just a few pages, eleven babies with various expressions and actions (peeking, touching, sleepy, smiling) are shown in colourful photographs, with space for families to write in their own language below the pictures. The babies are each in a cradle board and are from different Native American tribes (Goshute/Paiute, Oneida/Leech Lake, Arapaho, Northern Ute/Uintah, Pueblo, Kootenai/Salish, Navajo/Dineh, Shoshone, Nez Perce, Shoshone/Bannock, Yurok/Hupa); the book is also in the shape of a cradle board, with a rounded top. There's a bit of information about the cradle boards and the babies in the final pages of the book (that's where the names of the tribes come from), but I would have loved even more information about the cradle boards, the tribes, and how the book was put together. Maybe there isn't really a place for that in a board book, but when there are so few books that feature Native American children and traditions I think I end up wanting so much from them. I'm looking forward to seeing more reviews from people within the tribes to see how accurately this book reflects their history and their culture.

Find it at IndieBound.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Star Bright Books.

Read it with:
Babies, Babies! by Debby Slier
Backpack Baby by Miriam Cohen
What's Up, Baby? by Kathleen Rizzi
Carry Me by Star Bright Books

2 comments:

  1. Hi Caroline, you might like to read Debbie Reese's review of Cradle me (http://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/2012/03/cradle-me-by-debbie-slier.html). Thank you again for sharing your thoughts.

    Jiyoung Ahn (Star Bright Books)

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  2. Thanks! I really enjoyed Debbie Reese's review. Congratulations on another great board book for babies; I always love seeing what Star Bright Books publishes.

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