Tag: mother’s day

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

More Mother’s Day Wishes!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I’ve got more Mother’s Day books for the big day, but first, Everything Is Mama Activity Pages from Jimmy Fallon’s publisher, Macmillan! Enjoy three pages of activities and coloring with the kiddos!

What the Road Said, by Cleo Wade/Illustrated by Lucie de Moyencourt, (March 2021, Feiwel & Friends), $18.99, ISBN: 9781250269492

Ages 6-10

If loving advice for living a good life could be summed up in verse, What the Road Said is it. Poet, activist, and one of Marie Claire’s 50 Most Influential Women in America Cleo Wade reminds young and grown readers alike to pay attention to the journey, not the destination. Sometimes, you may think you’re on the wrong path: keep going; “sometimes we go the wrong way on the way to the right way”. You may not always move forward, and you may need help on the way or feel alone. Keep going, the poem urges. Lead with kindness and love, even when met with hate, and just keep going. Illustrator Lucie de Moyencourt’s watercolor and ink artwork begins with an urban landscape, with nature scenes painted on buildings; a child watches them as they walk, and the city streets give way to lush, green pastures, beaches, dark forests, mountains, even outer space, the child following paths up mountains and through the woods; standing triumphant on the top of the world, and meditating on the growth from a caterpillar to a butterfly. Together, Cleo Wade and Lucie de Moyencourt encourage readers to reach for the stars on their journey through life. These comforting, inspiring words and artwork are the perfect story to pass to your little ones and they’re the words we parents need sometimes, because, as Cleo Wade states in her author’s note, “Being a grownup is hard and the Road  reminds me to take it one day at a time”.

 

I Love You, Baby Burrito, by Angela Dominguez, (January 12, 2021, Roaring Brook Press), $18.99, ISBN: 9781250231093
Ages 2-5
This book is ADORABLE. A set of new parents greet their new baby – swaddled like a burrito – in this bilingual book of pure joy. Tender images of parents and baby pair with images of a new bird family in a nest outside the family’s window. The parents gaze, hold, and swaddle their little one, marveling at their new bundle, taking such care with every moment. Spanish words are in bright green, and English prose repeats the phrase, helping emphasize terms in both languages. A glossary at the end provides phonetic pronounciation. Mixed media illustrations are soft, gently colored, giving a real feeling of those quiet moments when baby and parents are still getting to know one another. I can’t wait to read this to my library families. An excellent Mother’s Day gift or baby shower gift, too; consider pairing with Hayley Barrett and Juana Martinez-Neal’s Babymoon.
Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Happy Mother’s Day! Books to Snuggle With

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

This is certainly a different kind of Mother’s Day, but one thing remains constant: we’re surrounded by the ones we love. So, in honor of Moms and Mom-like figures in our lives, snuggle up with your little ones and enjoy a storytime with these picture books.

You Be Mommy, by Karla Clark/Illustrated by Zoe Persico, (March 2020, Feiwel & Friends), $17.99, ISBN: 978-1-250-22538-2

Ages 3-7

Moms everywhere will appreciate this one. The Mommy in this story is exhausted from a full day, and she’s just too tired to be Mommy at the moment… so she asks her daughter if she can be Mommy for the night. This rhyming story is chock full of Mom moments we know so well: working a full day, cleaning up messes, feeding the masses, helping with homework, even bathing the dog. Mommy is pooped, so she needs someone to check under her bed for monsters, give her some head and tummy rubs, and kisses good night. But the little girl seems to be pretty tired, too… so maybe Mommy will just take a little break, rather than the whole night off. An adorable story that salutes Moms everywhere, You Be Mommy has colorful, warm illustrations. Endpapers feature the family dog, enviably dozing with Mom’s ever-present cups of coffee nearby. Mom and family are people of color.

A sweet story to read while your little one(s) take on some Mommy duties for the day.

 

You Belong, by Rachel Platten/Illustrated by Marcin Piwowarski, (March 2020, Feiwel & Friends), $17.99, ISBN: 9781250240163

Ages 0-5

Singer-songwriter Rachel Platten’s ode to newborn babies and motherhood explores the feelings, hopes, and dreams an expectant mom has while waiting for her baby to arrive: “I’m waiting patiently for you to arrive. / I want to meet you so much I could cry”. The song weaves through images of multicultural families, both expectant and with young children, creating lump-in-the-throat moments for moms, calling up memories of talking to bellies and holding up outfits at baby showers; tending to skinned knees or providing a loving hug; soaring on rainbows and dancing on air. Digital artwork creates soft, colorful images that bring the words of Rachel Platten’s song to life. This is a sweet Mother’s Day gift, baby shower gift, and storytime read.

 

Welcome to Your World, by Smriti Prasadam-Halls/Illustrated by Jaime Kim, (March 2020, Candlewick Press), $16.99, ISBN: 9781536206227

Ages 0-5

A sweet rhyming story with images of parent-child animals and an underlying message about caring for our planet, Welcome to Your World rejoices in parenting, nature and the bond we have with our world. Beginning and concluding with images of a human mother holding her child, verses explore the sky, land, ocean, the elements, and the beauty of our surroundings: “Can you feel the raindrops landing on your nose? Can you feel the waterfall tickling your toes?” Earthy watercolors create waterfalls, oceanscapes, and snowy mountains where wild animals roam free, bringing us back to a parent and child, cuddled together, imagining their place in the great scheme of things. Gentle and soft, this is a lovely way to get ready for bed or a nice addition to an animal-related storytime. This would pair nicely with Mother Earth’s Lullaby (2018).

Posted in Preschool Reads, Toddler Reads

Cuddle-worthy books for Mother’s Day

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Sunday is Mother’s Day! Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms, grandmothers, godmothers, and caregivers! I’ve come up with a short list of cuddle-worthy books to snuggle and read with your little ones.

 

Counting Kisses, by Karen Katz Baby is cranky and tired! Mom knows the way to soothe baby: with kisses! Ten little kisses on teeny, tiny toes, nine laughing kisses on busy, wriggly feet… leading all the way to the last sleepy kiss on baby’s head. Kiss along with this one and watch your little ones giggle and squirm, especially when you throw a tickle or two in for good measure.

Mama Mama, by Jean Marzollo/Illustrated by Laura Regan “Mama, Mama/Play with  me/Carry me/So I can see”.  One of the sweetest, beautifully illustrated baby books I’ve ever read, Mama Mama pairs animal babies and their loving mothers. This has been one of my favorites since my eldest was a baby; I can still feel my chin on his cheek as I’d read it to him.

Mummy’s Always Right, by Joe Mulvey Never let it be said that we don’t have a sense of humor in my home. I backed this Kickstarter last year and my youngest and I still read it all the time. A little mummy named Gaws (get it? Gauze!) plays with his monster friends while his Mummy provides rhyming advice about hygiene, nutrition, and safety always reminding her little lovey that Mummy’s always right. There are lots of laughs to be had here, especially when meeting some of Gaws’ friends: the cranky Frankenmine, the tentacular Cthu-Lou, and the ghostly Ghoulia. There’s nothing scary about this book – Sesame Street has monsters that are cute; so does Joe Mulvey.

Someday, by Alison McGhee/Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds It’s every mother’s dream for her little ones to live their life to the fullest; to have everything good come to them, to grow, explore, and live. I’m not going to promise you that you’ll finish this book dry-eyed, but you will hug your sweetie a bit longer than usual. The child in the story is female, but you can easily talk to your sons about their milestones they will reach, with you cheering them on every step of the way.

Mamasaurus, by Stephen Lomp Babysaurus and Mamasaurus are eating tender leaves in the jungle one day, when whoops! He slips off her back and finds himself alone. Similar to PD Eastman’s classic Are You My Mother, Babysaurus meets other dinosaurs on his search for Mamasaurus: Does she run fast? Does she have a long horn, or have wings? No, but she knows how to find her Babysaurus, and she’s the best Mamasaurus in the whole jungle. This is my little guy’s and my favorite cuddle book; it’s perfect for reading and snuggle time.

Runaway Mummy: A Petrifying Parody, by Michael Rex Margaret Wise Brown’s Runaway Bunny is (deservedly) on so many lists, I thought I’d give a little love to the equally sweet and very funny Runaway Mummy. A little monster tries on different monster personas to get away from Mummy, but just like the Bunny’s mother in Runaway Bunny, Mummy is never too far behind, even when he transforms into the unthinkable: A BOY. This book gets as much love during a Mother’s Day storytime as it does during a Halloween storytime; give it a shot.