Rudy’s Lullaby

Boiger (She Persisted) tackles an age-old relationship conundrum: What happens when one half of a duo says “yay” while the other screams “no way”? After a lullaby-singing school for birds moves into the tree where raccoons Rudy and Bruno make their idyllic home, Bruno is smitten with the neighbors. Rudy, however, is far less enchanted (“They sang literally every s-i-n-g-l-e day, a-l-l day long”); unable to think or sleep, he strikes a pose of despair. When the singing school’s director needs a weeklong sitter for her five chicks, Rudy is horrified to hear Bruno immediately volunteering the raccoons’ services. But Rudy decides to “help Bruno and to feel happy. Just a little bit.” While he initially focuses on foisting a nap on the avian charges, his protective instincts kick in when a chick wanders off, and he successfully guides the wayward birdy home by crooning a lullaby that sends luminous swirls of sound looping through movement-filled watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil scenes. Rudy’s expanding circle of care unfolds with a light touch as an important truth shines through: companionship can yield unexpected rewards. Ages 3–7. (Sept.)