Ian Marcusiu- Lullaby for Baby Bear

This book is about a baby bear struggling to fall asleep one night. His cries wake up other animal mothers, and they each try to sing him a lullaby to make him sleepy. All of their songs fail, however, because their lyrics reflect the needs of their own children, and are not personal to the baby bear. Finally, the mama bear comes and sings him the lullaby that he needs, and he falls asleep. This book does a great job of illustrating the power of music in a way that very young kids can understand. It can make you feel something, and it is also a very personal experience. This book shows children the power of shared music, and it also paves the way to a sort of create-your-own lullaby project. I could definitely see someone creating an assignment that revolves around writing a song/lullaby that has a special meaning to them. Whether it was one that reminds them of a song they used to hear when they were little or if it was about something special that they can relate to the from their childhood, this is a good way to get students thinking about how music can relate to individual experiences in life.