mothers

A Pair of New Books about Closeness and Clothes

| Tasha
Book cover for Because of a Shoe by Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Marla Frazee. Features a small child with curly red hair looking skeptically at a red shoe that being held out to them.

Because of a Shoe by Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Marla Frazee 

  • Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
  • Publication Date: February 3, 2026
  • Reviewed from Edelweiss e-galley
  • ISBN: 9780593707401

When a too-tight shoe causes a full tantrum for the little child in this picture book, it leads to screaming, flopping on the floor even if the child doesn’t really want to. Perhaps they will just live on the floor forever. They refuse to put on the shoe, hate every shoe and throw the shoe, and then their mother loses her temper too, and gets the shoe and everyone apologizes for the yelling. Then, it’s time for hugs and knowing that nothing, even a shoe tantrum, will change their love for one another.

Fogliano captures the entire life of a tantrum in this clever picture book about modern parenting. The voice, using second person, works really well here so that a small child listening to the book hears the love throughout. I particularly appreciate that the mother loses her temper too, as one does, and there is no shame, just apologies and moving on. The illustrations by Frazee are done in her signature style. Here, she plays with color seeping away from the page as the tantrum rages, only to return to rich color as it resolves. The twist at the end is a delight too.

A terrific read for tantrum-prone toddlers and parents. Appropriate for ages 2-5.

Book cover for The Sweater by Larissa Theule, illustrated by Teagan White. Featuring a raccoon at the center holding a small brown bird and a gathering of other woodland animals around them.

The Sweater by Larissa Theule, illustrated by Teagan White

  • Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
  • Publication Date: February 10, 2026
  • Reviewed from Edelweiss e-galley
  • ISBN: 9780593528945

When Holly the Raccoon finds a little bird who seems to be needing some care and shelter, she lets him find his own spot and then heads off to make the rounds. Everyone gave what they could and then Holly headed home to knit a gift to welcome the bird to the community. The next morning, snow came and the sweater that everyone had contributed to fit the little bird perfectly. Everyone helped him shore up his home to keep the wind and snow out. Soon all of the animals were forced to take shelter for the winter in their various dens and homes. Then one morning, the little bird knew exactly what he could share with them to give his thanks: his voice. 

This book could have been overly sweet but manages to not be thanks to its focus on giving and community and sharing the fact openly that life can sometimes be hard and that support from others can be helpful if done with care. The text is filled with small touches like the various small items donated and how each animal spends their winter hours in their dens. The art picks those details up and creates a vibrant community of animals who all support one another. They are a delight of color and cozy feels. 

A book to snuggle up with. Appropriate for ages 3-6.

A Place for Us by James E. Ransome – Book Review

| Tasha

A Place for Us by James E. Ransome (9780593324882)

This wordless picture book shares a day in the life of a mother and son who are unhoused. The boy goes to school and is picked up afterwards by his mother. They live in an unnamed city and he shares his news of his day as they walk to get dinner. After dinner, they spend the rest of their evening together in the library doing homework and reading. Once the library is closed, they head to a park where the boy sleeps on the bench, his head in his mother’s lap as she keeps watch through the night. The boy brushes his teeth in a drinking fountain, changes clothes and then is off to another day at school. 

This book is immensely moving and powerful. There is such dignity to their day together, such effort in keeping her son safe and such a strong connection between the two of them. All of that is shared in images alone, speaking from the page through their interaction, their body language and their time together. It is haunting, beautiful and a call to action. Ransome is one of our greatest picture book creators and this one is one of his best. 

Powerful and full of heart, this picture book doesn’t let you look away from those in need of housing. Appropriate for ages 5-9.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Nancy Paulsen Books.

Oasis by Guojing – Book Review

| Tasha

Oasis by Guojing (9781250818379)

JieJie lives with her little brother in a barren wasteland that they trek across for water and to reach the phone that lets when call their mother who works in a far off city. One day, the children discover the broken parts of a robot in a trash heap. JieJie uses skills her mother taught her to fix the robot and her little brothers asks the robot to be his mom. The AI boots into mother mode and soon the three of them are living a better life together, but what will happen when their real mother returns?

Done in pencil illustrations that capture the dark desolation, this graphic novel looks towards the light. Color is introduced only sparingly, offsetting the darkness but never taking it fully away. The story is hauntingly told, the answers are never easy and the humanity of robots and humans alike is the center of the tale.

Another simply beautiful read from this author. Appropriate for ages 8-12.

Reviewed from library copy.

How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

| Tasha
Cover image for How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe.

How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland (9781534448667)

Moon has always lived in the shadow of her beautiful sister, Star. Now Star is a Fotogram influencer, making enough money to have bought their family a new house. Their mother is ecstatic with Star but has always had problems showing any sort of love to Moon. Star has been offered a seat on a tour bus of influencers traveling the nation for the summer, and Moon is sent along as her photographer, a role she has played for years. Moon will also be the tour’s “merch girl,” manning the booth that sells items for the influencers to all their fans. Moon has been planning her escape to college after the summer and pockets her money for the meal plan to help pay for board at college, deciding to live off peanut butter and grilled cheese on the bus. But she hadn’t planned on Santiago, an impossibly gorgeous guy who is the grumpy and rude brother of the owner of Fotogram. He’s also the other person doing merch sales. It’s hate at first sight, at least until Santiago starts to share his talent with food and Moon starts to question everything that her mother has ever told her.

Incredible writing, a fresh plot and lots of character growth make this teen novel a pure joy to read. Gilliland has real skill with dialogue, making all of the conversations seem natural and realistic but also clever and sharp-witted. Throughout the book there are wonderful slow reveals of information, such as how Moon actually got her scar (she did not fall out of a tree). The nature of Moon’s relationship with her sister and mother is honest and painful, each moment scalpel sharp and devastating, even when Moon herself doesn’t realize how bad it is.

Moon is a magnificent Latina protagonist. She is not waif-thin nor muscular, moving through her life with wobbly and jiggly bits that she struggles to love. She is herself a gifted earth artist and someone with a deep and meaningful connection to nature. One that often leaves her covered in insects like luna moths, ladybugs and dragonflies, something her mother considers a curse. Moon is complex, acerbic, funny and immensely vulnerable, just like the novel itself.

One of the best of the year, this is a book to fall for. Appropriate for ages 14-18.

Reviewed from copy provided by Simon & Schuster.

Your Mama by NoNieqa Ramos

| Tasha
Cover image for Your Mama.

Your Mama by NoNieqa Ramos, illustrated by Jacqueline Alcantara (9781328631886)

This picture book cleverly riffs on the “Yo Mama” jokes. Each set of pages starts with a full joke, including “Your Mama so sweet, she could be a bakery” and “Your Mama so strong, she like a marine.” Then the story takes over and explains how this little girl’s mother is all that and more. Examples like her high heels shoes that no one else can walk in, being public library VIPs, and making the perfect costumes. This mother loves road trips, good jokes, and makeup. She stands up against injustice, has friends everywhere, and loves her daughter more than she will ever know.

The humor at the center of the book, taking often negative “Yo Mama” jokes and turning them on their head is a real pleasure. The Latinx protagonists are both strong women with the text slowing with English and Spanish. It’s a pleasure to see a fully realized mother, who is modern, focused and still able to be a great Mama. This woman has real dimension on the page, allowing readers to see their own amazing mothers here too.

The art in this book shows the warm love between mother and daughter, from bouncing on couch cushions, to living room performances, to being out and about together. The setting is urban and friendly, the streets bustling with friends and relatives. From her long curly hair to her high heeled shoes, this is a mother with plenty of attitude and self confidence to share with her daughter.

A celebration of Mamas both sweet and spicy. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Versify.

Sunshine by Marion Dane Bauer

| Tasha
Cover image for Sunshine.

Sunshine by Marion Dane Bauer (9781536214116)

Ben lives with his father and his faithful imaginary dog, Sunshine. This summer, he’s going to spend an entire week with his mother, whom he hasn’t seem since he was three. She lives alone on an island in northern Minnesota. As he and his father journey to meet her, Ben struggles to ignore Sunshine, since his father thinks Ben is too old to have an imaginary friend. After journeying to his mother’s island home by canoe, Ben finds himself struggling with his anxiety and often unable to speak. He has so many questions he wants to ask her and has imagined many conversations together, but nothing comes out. He desperately wants to figure out how to get her to return to living with them. Instead of asking, Ben spends his days on the island, giving his mother time to read. After a disastrous expedition to see some bears and another harrowing solo journey in a canoe, a disaster hits the island and a path to forgiveness is formed.

Bauer is such a remarkable writer. Her books are invitingly brief for young readers and also offer real depth of emotion. In this novel, she shows the struggles of someone with anxiety who is often asking “what if” rather than diving in. She doesn’t allow it to be superficial, instead really exploring what it feels like. At the same time, readers will realize that Ben is incredibly brave and fueled by anger that he won’t acknowledge. His connection to Sunshine is fully realized, from the way they curl up to sleep together to her position in the canoe to their ongoing friendship in a new place.

Ben is a complex character and so are his parents. His father is fastidious, clearly anxious himself in ways that Ben can’t articulate. His mother is a remarkable character in children’s literature. A mother who left her child behind for reasons that are hinted at but not fully revealed until later in the novel. Yet she is given the space to be warm, kind and caring while also being rather distant and reserved. She is many things, and also far more than she realizes.

A book full of dangers, adventure and heart. Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from ARC provided by Candlewick.

The Big Bad Wolf in My House by Valerie Fontaine

| Tasha
Cover image for The Big Bad Wolf in My House.

The Big Bad Wolf in My House by Valerie Fontaine, illustrated by Nathalie Dion (9781773065014)

When the Big Bad Wolf came to the little girl’s house, he didn’t have to huff and puff at all. He was invited in by her mother. At first, he was nice to her mother but his eyes were always cold when he looked at the girl. When her mother was late coming home one day, he got mad and called her bad names. Her mother became quiet and smaller. The girl became silent and made sure to be tidy. The wolf threw things and didn’t apologize. Instead the mother and daughter apologized and cleaned it all up. The wolf would howl and create bruises. The little girl made a house of straw with blankets on her bed to protect her. She hoped the wood door would keep him out. Then she built bricks around her heart. Finally, one day, her mother told her to pack her bag and they fled to a home for women and children where the little girl could finally sleep in safety.

This frank and stark book is a French Canadian import. The use of the Big Bad Wolf image in the book clearly marks the wolf in the house as a bad person from the first page. Further into the book, the little girl tries to build protection around herself with different elements, turning at last to bricks around her heart. This is a particularly moving part of the story, as her defenses are not respected, just as her mother’s are not. The book does end in a hopeful place, as they leave to restart their lives without the wolf there.

The illustrations show the angry encounters, but not the physical assaults. The bruises on the little girl’s arm are shown as she explains that she has to wear long sleeves even when it’s hot out. The palette in the book is pale greens and dusty tans. The illustrations show the fear and the trauma of living with an abuser.

An important book that explains abuse to children in a way that shows the abuser in the “bad” wolf in the situation. Appropriate for ages 5-8.

Reviewed from library copy.

A Mother Is a House by Aurore Petit

| Tasha
Cover image.

A Mother Is a House by Aurore Petit (9781776573233)

This touching picture book looks at a mother through the eyes of her baby. A mother is so many things, starting by being a house that the baby grows inside. Then a pouch where the baby is carried around town. She is a fountain of breast milk, a port in a crowded room, a mirror that reflects the baby, an island in the bath. She is protection from strangers, a doctor when needed, someone to play with or on top of. She is so many things, but most importantly she is home.

Petit has created a rhyming picture book just right for toddlers. The writing celebrates the role of a mother, showing all the various ways in which she protects, embraces, adores, and supports her baby. The book moves from the mother being pregnant all the way through to the baby becoming a toddler, clearly gaining skills and age as the pages turn. The writing is simple and never sing-songy. The art is modern and bright, using clean lines and a jaunty attitude. The images show a modern mother in an urban setting along with a father who is present and contributes his share.

A colorful celebration of baby and motherhood. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from copy provided by Gecko Press.

The Memory Thief by Jodi Lynn Anderson

| Tasha
Cover image.

The Memory Thief by Jodi Lynn Anderson (9781481480215)

The first in the Thirteen Witches trilogy, this fantasy novel tells the story of Rosie Oaks who survived a witch attack as a newborn baby. She was left though with a mother who cannot love her and can barely care for her at all. Rosie has always known her mother to be this way, so she doesn’t expect anything else. Rosie spends her time reading books and writing her own stories until one day she decides that she is too old for them and burns her stories. That triggers the sight, allowing her to see the ghosts that live all around her. Ebb, a ghost boy, shows her the Witch Hunter’s Guide to the Universe, a book her mother hid that contains all she knew about the thirteen witches that control the world. Rosie discovers that her mother has been cursed, her memories stolen by the Memory Thief, a witch who may be the weakest but is also unstoppable. As Rosie learns more about the witches, her mother’s curse, family secrets and friendship, she realizes that she is the one who must now hunt the witch but at what cost?

Anderson has written a unique fantasy novel where witches are profoundly powerful beings, able to steal memories, stop time, and inflict curses. The world building is skillfully crafted, offering a world parallel to our own where a ladder goes to the moon, where ghosts exist and strive to head to the Beyond, and where witch hunters have magical weapons they craft themselves. Through Rosie, readers get to experience the wonder of discovering that world as well as feel the tragedy of her mother’s curse deeply too.

Anderson populates her book with characters who are fascinating and worthy of their own novels. There is Ebb, the ghost boy who has his pet ghost spider and who befriends Rosie when she needs it most. There is Germ, Rosie’s only friend, who loves Rosie and can see ghosts suddenly just like Rosie can. There is the Murderer, an angry ghost with his own tragic story who Rosie discovers holds the secret to her own survival as an infant. The Memory Thief herself is a fascinating mix of tragedy, danger and horror.

A great start to a new fantasy trilogy, this book mixes ghosts, magic and witches into something spectacularly new. Appropriate for ages 9-12.

Reviewed from copy provided by Aladdin.