Turning a beloved lullaby on its head, this wonderful read-aloud pairs playful text and enchanting paintings to create a rollicking escapade with a clever premise and a cozy conclusion.   “Rock-a-bye, Baby, in the treetop. How did you ever get so high up?” That’s a good question—and this delightful book weaves a gentle fantasy around the baby who finds himself in that very predicament! A marvelous adventure ensues, taking Baby from the tree branches to a farm full of animals to a ride down the river, and finally on a flight through the night sky into the safety of Mama’s arms. PreS—For singing or reading aloud, this rhyming picture book expands on the "Rock-a-bye, Baby" lullaby, opening with a gentle scene of a cradle in the treetops and a sleeping baby. With the page turn, the text begins to ask key questions: "Rock-a-bye, Baby,/in the treetop./How did you ever get so high up?/Evening is near now./Hear the wind blow./Branches are shaking…/Where'd Baby go?" The accompanying illustration, straying from the original plot, now shows only an empty cradle in the treetop. Here Baby's adventure truly begins. From crow's nest to pig's back, Baby joyously ricochets throughout a farm with a variety of barnyard animals and then onto a boat and over a waterfall. Finally, the attentive moon intervenes and has the hawk bring Baby home to its (grounded) cradle and its mother. "Babies in trees are fine in a song…/But you, little one,/are where you belong." Careful observation reveals that the mural, mobile, and bedding in Baby's room all contain the adventure's plot points and characters. Soothing, dreamy art done in mixed media, including acrylic, colored pencil, and collage on paper, keeps the dark palette and wild adventure from feeling threatening with its friendly animals and personified sun, moon, and occasional trees all keeping watch over the baby. VERDICT This gently rhyming adventure provides a new take on a classic lullaby that may calm caregivers troubled by lyrics of babies falling from treetops.—Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA * “Gently funny and eminently reassuring expansion of the original rhyme, which replicates the soothing rhythms of the source material. . . . Mulazzini’s mixed-media paintings play right into the safe, secure mood. Her softly flowing shapes, subdued palette, and quirky details create the sense of a dreamscape.” — Publishers Weekly , starred review “Ashman's fresh take on the classic lullaby ‘Rock-A-Bye, Baby’ first expands upon and then addresses the nonsensical aspects of the verses. . . . A succession of increasingly silly resting or play scenarios for baby. . . . Mulazzani's mixed-media art indulges in delightful decorative details. . . . A fine addition to the nursery bookshelf for baby and all.” — Kirkus Reviews “Soothing, dreamy art . . . keeps the dark palette and wild adventure from feeling threatening with its friendly animals and personified sun, moon, and occasional trees all keeping watch over the baby. This gently rhyming adventure provides a new take on a classic lullaby that may calm caregivers troubled by lyrics of babies falling from treetops.” — School Library Journal “Ashman and Mulazzani have breathed twenty-first-century life into this well-know lullaby. The bustling mixed-media illustrations give a modern feel to the rhyming text, which flows easily from page to page. . . . While there is plenty of action here, the soft pastels and blue-green color scheme give the story a sleepy feel. Touches of patterned paper add visual spark.” — Booklist Linda Ashman (www.lindaashman.com) has written over twenty-five picture books, which have garnered awards such as New York Times  Notable Children’s Book, IRA/CBC Children’s Choices Selection, Bank Street Best Book,  Booklist  Editors’ Choice,  Parenting Best Book, and  Child  Best Book. As a children’s poet, she’s been compared to Ogden Nash, Mary Ann Hoberman, Douglas Florian, and Jack Prelutsky. She was born in New York and grew up in New Jersey, and has worked as a real estate market analyst and in urban planning. She lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with her husband, son, and two dogs.   Simona Mulazzani (www.morgangayninkids.com/mulazzani/) has illustrated over seventy adult and children's books for international publishers. She received a silver medal from the Society of Illustrators in 2013. She was born in Milan, Italy, and now lives in Pesaro, Italy.