Cover of Hush, Little Horsie by Jane Yolen

Hush, Little Horsie

HUSH LITTLE HORSIE

Illustrated by Ruth Sanderson

Random House Books for Young Readers

ISBN# 0375858539

My dear friend and neighbor (well, two towns away) illustrator Ruth Sanderson called me up. We had done a number of books together including SLEEPING BEAUTY and WHERE HAVE THE UNICORNS GONE. She draws gorgeous horses. Owns at least one horse these days. “I want to do a horse lullabye,” she said. “Want to write it for me?”

Yes and yes and yes.

So I did. She did a dummy. We sold it to Random House. I wish all collaborations and sales could go as smoothly.

Oh, of course there were hiccups. It’s the way with publishing. The editor Heidi Kilgras is tough. My kind of editor. She made me rewrite the simple verse four or five times. But I think it kept getting better.

Miscellany

  • There is now a Hush, Little Horsie eBook.

What reviewers have said:

  • “This is a lovely book, and the soothing words and pictures invite the listener to fall asleep–just like the little girl who clutches her pony at the end of the book”—SDSU Review
  • “What makes a dinosaur laugh out loud. . . Dinosaurs laugh at funny dinosaur jokes! This lift-the-flap board book will have you howling with laughter at the dino jokes. . A fun book to share together.”—Kidsbookshelf.com
  • “Award-winning author Jane Yolen has written the New York Times bestselling How Do Dinosaurs . . . series and Owl Moon, winner of the Caldecott Medal. In Hush, Little Horsie, she has dreamed up a lovely rhyming read-aloud for a mother and child to snuggle up with. This gorgeous picture book is perfect for horse lovers big and small—and for mothers in need of a good bedtime story.”—The Children’s Book Review
  • “With text and illustrations as tender as a lullaby, this picture book is ideal for bedtime sharing.”—School Library Journal
  • “The perfect bedtime story! Gentle rhyme and absolutely beautiful illustrations of horse mamas and their foals bedding down for the night. Grow sleepy as each mama encourages her little one to drift to sleep while the rhyme repeats (with some variation) inducing a peaceful, secure feeling.”—BiblioReads.com
  • “Mama’s everywhere watch closely over their little ones, Mama horses too. They watch as their ponies leap and play around the farm, keeping them from harm. And as the little ponies get tired, Mama horse watches over them as they sleep. The rhyming text and delightful illustrations make this a perfect mother and child story to snuggle up with and share.”—kidsbookshelf.com
  • “The opening stanza—“Hush little horsie, / Asleep on the farm. / Your mama is near / And will keep you from harm”—sets the tone for a soothing bedtime hymn featuring horses. . . .The theme is as sweet as sugar, and it’s hard to imagine this not being a source of comfort for any young child. . “—Kirkus