Sing a Song of Bedtime, written and illustrated by Barbara Reid. Scholastic, 2015. $19.99 all ages

"Sleep, baby, sleep,
Your father tends the sheep;
Your mother shakes the
dreamland tree,
And from it fall sweet
dreams for thee;
Sleep, baby, sleep,
Sleep, baby, sleep."

Huzzah! I have a new book to add to the basket of books I want to give every new baby!

There is absolutely nothing better to do today than to celebrate Barbara Reid's new book of rhymes and lullabies. In this remarkable companion to Sing a Song of Mother Goose, Ms. Reid includes 14 favorites to share at bedtime ... or anytime. They will be familiar to many families.

I never grow tired of poring over her stellar artwork, and often find myself returning to old favorites just to be amazed all over again. The double page spreads in this new book provide the text on the left side, festooned with a detailed image relating to the shared song or verse. Facing that is a full page illustration, filled to its every edge with extraordinarily detailed Plasticine artwork.

Sure to be a classic, and deservedly so, this is a book that should be on every family's bookshelf, and in every new baby's start-up library.

Bravo, Barbara Reid! And thank you ...