Tag: Bridget Strevens-Marzo

Hush, Hush! by Margaret Wild & Bridget Strevens-Marzo

Baby Hippo couldn’t fall asleep.
He rolled and wriggled.
He stood on his head. He waggled his legs.
He grunted and groaned. “Oh, ah, oh!”
“Hush, hush!” said his mum softly and sleepily.

Baby Hippo can’t sleep, so he goes for a walk. Wherever he goes through the jungle he hears mothers telling their babies to ‘hush, hush.’ Eventually, feeling tired, he trudges back home where – eventually – he manages to fall asleep beside his own mum.

Hush, Hush! is a delightful sequel, or companion, to Kiss, Kiss! by the same wonderful pairing of author Margaret Wild and illustrator Bridget Strevens-Marzo and has a similar patterning to the text, whilst being different enough to be able to enjoy both. Strevens-Marzo’s art, with the purples of the dusky sky and the deep greens and browns of the jungle, along with the jungle animals, is beautiful.

This would make an excellent bed time sharing story and is sure to be as well received as Kiss, Kiss! which has sold over 200, 000 copies worldwide.

Hush, Hush!

Hush, Hush! by Margaret Wild & Bridget Strevens-Marzo
Little Hare, 2009

This book can be purchased online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Bridget's Book of Nursery Rhymes

Nursery rhymes are age old. Some are steeped in symbolism, others tell stories of great historical events. Some teach counting, others are plain nonsense. But children are generally not interested in any of that, they love nursery rhymes for the rhyme and repetition, the absurdity and the familiarity. The collection opens with full page colour for ‘Pat-a-Cake’ and ends with bath, bed and a final ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star’. In this last, a smaller image looks through the bedroom window at the night sky as the text diminishes in size (volume? wakefulness?) In between, there are a variety of well-known rhymes.

Bridget’s Book of Nursery Rhymes, released in hardback in 2006, is now in a sturdy, large-format square paperback. Bridget’s illustrations are in bright primary colours with black outlines. Some openings have bright colour backgrounds, others make use of the white space. A young teddy bear features strongly but there are also rabbits, pigs, mice and more. A small mouse is present on each page for a child to find. It is easy to imagine this book being a bedtime favourite with both reader and child. Recommended for preschool children.

Bridget's Book of Nursery Rhymes

Bridget’s Book of Nursery Rhymes, Bridget Strevens-Marzo
Little Hare 2007
ISBN: 9871921272127

This book can be purchased online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.