Sleep, My Baby

“A perfect first book for today’s mothers and fathers to read to their children.” —Charlotte Teeple, former executive director of the Canadian Children’s Book Centre

Soothe little ones to sleep with this beautiful board book featuring a sweetly illustrated and tender lullaby first composed by Holocaust survivor, Dr. Lena Allen-Shore for her son, Jacques, and then adapted further by them for this children’s book.

Sleep, my baby, my lovely baby
I wish you good night.
The stars are smiling
they say to you
be happy all your life.

Author, teacher, and poet, Dr. Lena Allen-Shore made her mark on the world in innumerable ways, but she made the most endearing and enduring mark on her sons by singing “Sleep, My Baby” to them as they drifted off to bed each night. This extended version of the original, written by both Dr. Shore and her son Jacques, celebrates mothers all over the world and shares the universal messaging of hope, peace, and love as children are gently lulled to sleep knowing they are safe, sound, and protected from harm.

Dr. Lena Allen-Shore was a writer, composer, poet, educator, and philosopher. A survivor of the Holocaust, she was determined to make the world a gentler place by sharing universal values and being a builder of bridges in thought, word, song, and deed. She strived to build those bridges of understanding to further enhance the best of the human spirit. She was much loved and respected for her work to show people that amid our differences we share a common desire for love, happiness, and kindness.

The author of more than seventeen books including Rendezvous with Love and Roots and Wings, she garnered much praise for Building Bridges: Pope John Paul II and the Horizon of Life, based on her long friendship with the pontiff.

“Sleep My Baby” was originally composed for her son Jacques. He and his brother Michel sang their mother’s lullaby to their children, who now sing it to the next generation of their family. It is their hope that you will now also sing it with yours.

Jacques Shore is a partner in the law firm of Gowling WLG. His published works include articles on the law and public policy, op-eds, as well as two children’s books and an illustrated book of short stories. Mr. Shore has been a member of The Writers’ Union of Canada since 2002. An advisor to numerous Canadian and international companies on legal, government, and public-law issues, Mr. Shore has also acted as a chief negotiator for the federal government. His practice also addresses public policy issues within the cultural and publishing fields. A strong advocate of the importance of preserving, promoting, and enhancing national heritage and culture, Mr. Shore is one of the proud founders of the Library and Archives Canada (LAC) Foundation, and is Chair of the LAC Foundation Board. Mr. Shore is a past Chair of the Board of Governors of Carleton University, Ottawa. Called to the bar in Ontario, Quebec, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut, Mr. Shore graduated civil law from the Université de Montréal and common law from McGill University. Mr. Shore is married to Donna Shore, a family physician; they have three daughters.

Jessica Courtney-Tickle is the author and illustrator of Little Christmas Tree. Publishers Weekly praised, “Courtney-Tickle’s friendly digital illustrations teem with life” in a starred review. Jessica also illustrated The Story Orchestra Books by Katy Flint. She lives in London. Learn more at JessicaTickle.co.uk.