Read, Read, Read said the Baby: Hush little horsie by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Ruth Sanderson

This review was previously published. I have rewritten and edited it.

This is a board book edition of a picture book published in 2010. The text is a repetitive lullaby:

"Hush little horsie,
Asleep on the farm.
Your mama is near
And will keep you from harm."

Each stanza changes to a different place and rhyme, and is followed by a refrain:
"She'll watch when you play
and she'll watch when you sleep
and when you are tired
she'll watch as you sleep."

Which is, from an adult perspective, a little freaky, but of course kids won't notice that. You can easily sing the text to the tune of "Hush little baby".

Ruth Sanderson's lush paintings show gorgeous horses of different breeds in different places outdoors and in their cozy stable. The story ends showing a child clutching a stuffed horse and dreaming of horses.

Verdict: I'm not sure how successfully this would work as a board book - it would depend on the child, I think, and whether they will sit still and listen to the story, but there are lots of realistic looking horses to point out. I think it probably works better as a picture book overall.

ISBN: 9780375851391; Published 2013 by Random House; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library