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Jackie Kay - Author
A lyrical bedtime story where songs carry Shona from childhood dreams into a later moment caring for her ageing father. It offers Scottish cultural language, imaginative pictures and a strong sense of family continuity.
Shona is cared for at bedtime by her parents as a child; much later, she tucks her old father into bed and sings to him.FavourableFavourable: the book presents this theme approvingly or positively.Favourable: the book presents this theme approvingly or positively.
How the book presents it: The repeated bedtime ritual presents family care and continuity as tender and meaningful.
Talk about: How does the story show the relationship changing when Shona becomes the singer and carer?
Songs, language and memory
The story uses familiar Scottish lullabies and lyrical old Scots, linking Shona’s childhood bedtime with her later singing to her father.FavourableFavourable: the book presents this theme approvingly or positively.Favourable: the book presents this theme approvingly or positively.
How the book presents it: Scottish song and dialect are presented as living forms of connection, remembrance and family identity.
Talk about: Which words or song phrases feel familiar, surprising or especially memorable?
Dreams and imagination
While Shona sleeps, the story follows dream scenes involving her friend Ali, her dog Marley, her cat Flo, unicorns and sheep.FavourableFavourable: the book presents this theme approvingly or positively.Favourable: the book presents this theme approvingly or positively.
How the book presents it: Dreaming is treated as a playful, imaginative space connected with familiar people, animals and places.
Talk about: Does the dream world feel connected to Shona’s bedtime life, or does it work as a separate kind of adventure?
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Why It May Be Worth Reading
This may suit shared reading when you want to explore how familiar songs and bedtime routines can connect different stages of family life, while enjoying its poetic and dreamlike language.
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What Deserves Attention
The later scenes involve an old father being tucked into bed by his adult daughter. This gentle reversal may prompt feelings about ageing, dependence and family care.
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A Conversation Worth Having
What changes when Shona becomes the person singing, and how do the songs feel when care moves between generations? Which dream image would you most like to remember?
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Reading Approach
Read it aloud slowly, pausing over the repeated lullaby phrases and Scots words. Let the child describe the illustrations and dreams first; discuss the older-father scene only if they raise it.
Confidence & Basis
Theme indicators describe how the book presents a topic; they are not a verdict on the whole book or your family's values. Confidence reflects how much book-specific material was checked. Only part of the book information was available, so some details remain unconfirmed.
What remains unconfirmed
Family care across generations: Some details of this treatment remain unclear.
Songs, language and memory: The book’s precise treatment of each song and the extent of explanation for unfamiliar Scots words are not established.
Dreams and imagination: Some details of this treatment remain unclear.
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