Love Is Here with You: A Lullaby of Blessings
by Jyoti Rajan Gopal (Author) Nabi H Ali (Illustrator)
In this original lullaby, rich cultural traditions combine with a family's hopes for their baby to create a soothing ritual sure to be a favorite bedtime read and baby shower gift.
May mighty Durga, fierce and true,
guard your slumbers all night through.
My little angel, my honeydew,
your cradle waits for you.
As a family sings their baby to sleep, deities from the Hindu pantheon act as guardians of sweet slumber, from wise Ganesha, remover of obstacles, to joyful Krishna, prince of music, to powerful Durga, goddess of strength and protection. Richly illustrated by artist Nabi H. Ali, this gentle, reassuring text by author Jyoti Rajan Gopal wraps reader and listener in a message of love and comfort.
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Publishers Weekly
As dusk falls at the start of this culturally rich bedtime picture book, a family of Indian heritage surrounds a wide-eyed infant: "Crickets sing at twilight's gloam/ Night birds warble, creatures roam// My sweet baby, here at home/ Your cradle waits for you." Subsequent pages show the family amid clouds and swirls, while the narrator calls upon major deities of the Hindu pantheon to bless the child ("May mighty Durga, fierce and true, / guard your slumbers, all night through"). Further invocations draw on American symbols ("Land of the brave, home of the free") and the earth itself ("sun and wind and fire") in petitioning strength and protection for the youth. Lushly rendered, dreamlike illustrations from Ali (Babajoon's Treasure), in blues, golds, greens, and pinks, seem to evoke the iconography of South Indian Hindu temples, while spot illustrations throughout highlight lore and traditions. On one spread, "joyful Krishna, prince of tunes," ensconced in a leaflike motif, gazes across the book's gutter at the delighted child. Lilting rhymes from Rajan Gopal (The Desert Queen) drive this tender familial lullaby with devotional cadences. Extratextual definitions of Tamil endearments appear throughout. Ages 3-5. (Dec.)
Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.
Kirkus
A lullaby that radiates feelings of protection and hope.
JUV012060 - Juvenile Fiction | Legends, Myths, Fables | Asian
JUV033260 - Juvenile Fiction | Religious | Hindu
