Mary
Casanova

Artwork by Nick Wroblewski from Hush Hush, Forest

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Northwoods Lullaby

North­woods Lullaby
University of Minnesota Press, 2026
Hardcover: 978 – 1‑517 – 91561‑2
32 pages

Autographed copies of Hush, Hush Forest will be available from Mary’s online store

Northwoods Lullaby

written by Mary Casanova
illus­trated by Jordan Sundberg

A springtime stroll trans­forms into a heart­warming bedtime lullaby

It’s time to sing a lullaby, and all through the north­woods, different wild animals join in. Come along as a child and their grown-up enjoy an evening hike. Loons drift by on the serene lake, a baby on papa’s back. On the banks nearby, swans hatch, and deer graze in the grass. Look, and you’ll find bear cubs climbing trees with mama, foxes and hares, and wolf pups playing in their den. Celebrating new life as spring unfurls, North­woods Lullaby blossoms from a melody Mary Casanova began to hum while rocking her newborn grandbaby to sleep, a lullaby that can now be shared with gener­a­tions to come.

Pairing Casanova’s signature lyrical writing with collage illus­tra­tions by Jordan Sundberg of Tin Cup Design, this bedtime story invites readers of all ages to explore the world of nature and discover the unexpected along the way. It’s time to sing a lullaby, a pine bough swaying lullaby, a lady’s slipper lullaby … a lullaby for you.

For more infor­mation visit
the University of Minnesota Press website.

“In this celebration of the north­woods, Mary Casanova’s sparkling, rhythmic text and Jordan Sundberg’s beauti­fully layered illus­tra­tions combine to deliver a soothing bedtime book full of arresting details for young readers.”
— Joyce Sidman, author of Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night

“Frogs croak-croak, ferns unfurl, fox kits snuggle, pine boughs sway, loons call. Mary Casanova’s lyrical language and Jordan Sundberg’s luminous art invite us to share in the wonders of a north­woods walk in a lovely, lilting lullaby for all.”
— Phyllis Root, author of The Lost Forest and Plant a Pocket of Prairie

  • Minnesota Book Award Nominee
  • NE Minnesota Book Award Winner