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Langston Hughes
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Lullaby (for a Black Mother) Hardcover – Picture Book, March 19, 2013

by Langston Hughes (Author), Sean Qualls (Illustrator)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 302 ratings
See all formats and editions
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With graceful words as smooth as a song, the poet Langston Hughes celebrates the love between a mother and her baby. This picture book edition is a gift to share.

Award-winning illustrator Sean Qualls’s painted and collaged artwork captures universally powerful maternal moments with tenderness. In the end, readers will find a rare photo of baby Hughes and his mother, a biographical note, further reading, and the complete lullaby. Like little love-ones, this beautiful book is a treasure.

“My little dark baby, / My little earth-thing, / My little love-one, / What shall I sing / For your lullaby?"

Previous page
  1. Reading age
    4 - 7 years
  2. Print length
    32 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    Preschool - 3
  5. Dimensions
    9 x 0.34 x 10 inches
  6. Publisher
    Clarion Books
  7. Publication date
    March 19, 2013
  8. ISBN-10
    054736265X
  9. ISBN-13
    978-0547362656
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Hughes’ classic lullaby gets a loving lift with Qualls graceful artwork in this picture book that shows a beautiful baby in its loving mother’s embrace, dancing in the night sky among the stars, floating on a chair in the clouds over the Harlem city lights, and celebrating the dark. At the heart of the words and pictures is the parent-baby bond, but, asthe moving afterword points out, there are longing and loneliness, too, echoed in the silhouetted profiles of mother and child “kissing the night” from opposite ends of the double-page spread. One particularly stirring spread shows a close-up of the mother bouncing her baby above the crib with the world outside the window (“A necklace of stars / winding the night”). The full poem is printed at the back, along with a 1902 photo of an infant Hughes in his mother’s arms and a biographical note about the poet. The physical intimacy of mother and child “cuddleclose” is timeless. Preschool-Kindergarten. --Rochman, Hazel

Review

"Hughes' classic lullaby gets a loving lift with Quall's graceful artwork."
—Booklist

"A wonderful celebration of both love and poetry."
—School Library Journal

"A quiet but welcome introduction to the writer's work for the very young."
—Publishers Weekly

"Share with little ones needing a gentle lullaby."
—Kirkus

"Not all poems make for great picture book texts, but this one has just the right cadence and all the right line breaks for smooth page turns, especially when accompanied by Qualls's superb art showing the deep bond between a mother and her baby at bedtime."
—Horn Book —

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Clarion Books; Illustrated edition (March 19, 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 32 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 054736265X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0547362656
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 4 - 7 years
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ Preschool - 3
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.1 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9 x 0.34 x 10 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 302 ratings

About the author

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Langston Hughes

Langston Hughes

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James Mercer Langston Hughes (February 1, 1902 – May 22, 1967) was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist from Joplin, Missouri.

He was one of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form called jazz poetry. Hughes is best known as a leader of the Harlem Renaissance. He famously wrote about the period that "the negro was in vogue", which was later paraphrased as "when Harlem was in vogue".

Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Photo by Carl Van Vechten [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
302 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Doc
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for new mothers
Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2021
Verified Purchase
I purchased this for my daughter who became a mother to her own child. It’s perfect
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Paula Ragsdale
5.0 out of 5 stars Giftable
Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2022
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This is a gift
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Isabelle CA
5.0 out of 5 stars Simple and sweet read
Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2021
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The cutest book my baby just stares and it’s just all love .
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DENISE Chatman
5.0 out of 5 stars Very nice
Reviewed in the United States on June 23, 2020
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Very nice book I use it for baby shower
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AmznAddict
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2020
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Such a sweet book, my 16 month old loves the pictures
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Latrell K Green
4.0 out of 5 stars Not what I expected
Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2020
Verified Purchase
I thought this was a book of AA nursery rhymes but it’s a book of Langston Hughes poetry. It’s a great book, just not what I expected.
11 people found this helpful
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Lia Doll
5.0 out of 5 stars Lullaby
Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2019
Verified Purchase
I love this lil book. There's also a little background story within. Definitely a keeper!!
3 people found this helpful
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Rachelle
5.0 out of 5 stars Great illustrations.
Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2018
Verified Purchase
Easy to grasp for my 3.5 year old. Loves images. Captivated by illustrations.
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