Coorie Doon: A Scottish Lullaby Story: Beautiful bedtime reading for 3–5-year-olds from Jackie Kay, the former Scottish Makar and acclaimed poet

“A labour of love from both creators … this is about being safe and cosy, and about the remembered happiness of family, home, friends, pets and landscape.” The Sunday Times

“A wild, imaginative picture book, filled with enduring tenderness” Guardian

“A warm hug of a book … this also seems as personal as any of Kay’s poetry. And as full of love.” The Herald, Book of the Month

“Dreamy and beautifully illustrated … a magical book.” The Scotsman

“Beautifully poignant … brimming with love.” The Sunday Post

The stunning debut picture book from Jackie Kay, one of the UK’s foremost poets, rooted in familiar folk songs, and injected with gloriously lyrical old Scots.

When Shona was a wee bit bairn
Her daddy would sing Coorie Doon,
Till she cooried doon and fell asleep
Under the huge eye o’ the moon.

Every night, Shona is tucked into bed by her loving parents, who sing her old and familiar folk songs: Tiree Love Song; Goodnight, Irene and Will Ye Go, Lassie, Go? And as Shona sleeps, we follow the people and places that drift into her dream world: her best “fiere”, Ali, her dog, Marley, her cat, Flo… Then, years later, we meet Shona when she is sixty – actually sixty years old! – as she tucks her daddy, now an old man, into bed. And it is her turn to sing to him: “Coorie Doon, Coorie Doon, wee Daddy”.

Magnificently illustrated by Jill Calder, this is a truly original picture book that celebrates the small, perfect rituals of childhood and how they become a vital part of who we are. The book also includes a QR code to scan that will link through to a video from Jackie Kay and free audio recordings of songs from the book from legendary folk singers Peggy Seeger, Claire Brown and Suzanne Bonnar.