mothers

Mad at Mommy: Beautiful Anger

| Tasha

71030111

Mad at Mommy by Komako Sakai

Released in October 2010.

A new book from the creator of The Snow Day, this book offers an accurate portrayal of child anger. 

Little Bunny is very angry at his mommy.  And he is more than willing to tell her exactly why.  She sleeps late on Saturdays.  She never lets him watch cartoons.  She always yells for no reason.  She is always telling him to hurry up and then not hurrying herself.  She always forgets to do the laundry.  She told him he can’t marry her when he is older.  So he’s decided to run away.  For a moment or two.

Sakai has created a very spare and minimal picture book.  The use of texture and roughness in the illustrations complements the frustration of Little Bunny.  Originally published in Japan, the book does feel different than American picture books, especially in its illustrations. The subject matter is universal.  The book is told in the child’s voice, which Sakai captures winningly.  The complaints are offered as a list, one to the next, as if they are occurring to him as he speaks.  The effect is a rather dynamic feel to the book, leaping from one idea to the next.

A beauty of a book that will make a great contrast to other anger books like When Sophie Gets Angry – Really, Really Angry by Mollly Bang and Mean Soup by Betsy Everitt.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Scholastic.

Snore, Dinosaur, Snore

| Tasha

Snore, Dinosaur, Snore! by John Bendall-Brunello

Three little dinosaurs wake up from sleeping on their mother’s spiny back.  But their mother is still asleep.  She doesn’t move when they prod and pinch her.  She just continues to snore.  They try tickling, clawing and elbowing her.  More snores.  Then they roll her over and slide her down a hill!  Snores.  After rolling down and splashing into a muddy puddle, she just might be waking up.  But they won’t be sure until those snores turn into ROARS!

Simple and perfectly paced for a toddler audience, this book has the appeal of dinosaurs mixed with silliness and giggles.  The little dinosaurs are mischievous.  Children will delight in the thought of rolling a mother down a hill and into mud.  And the reaction at the end is just loud and surprising enough to cap off this fun romp of a book. 

Appropriate for ages 2-4, this book will be welcomed by young dinosaur enthusiasts and should not snore for long on any library shelf.  Not with little dinosaurs around! 

Reviewed from copy received from publisher.

Mama Says

| Tasha

Mama Says: a Book of Love for Mothers and Sons by Rob D. Walker, illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon.

Move from one culture to the next with a brief stanza of the poem shared in both English and the language of the people being represented.

Mama says

Be good

Mama says

Be kind

Mama says

The rain will come

But still the sun will shine

That is the opening of the book, with the poem also written in Cherokee alongside.  The poem then moves through subjects like faith, hard work, dedication, endurance, inner peace, and courage.  All are universal and delivered in a way that children will understand.

The Dillon’s art is exquisite, representing the wide range of people on earth with boys who turn into men at the end.  It is a message that resonates deeply with all mothers who want their boys to turn into such men of composure and strength of purpose.  Walker’s poem is so simple but so powerful.  It is a perfect match to the strength of the illustrations.

Highly recommended for mothers and their young sons, this could also make a great gift for a graduate heading off to college.    This is a book that boys can draw strength from, learn from and see a path in.

Reviewed from library copy.

Also reviewed by PlanetEsme, A Year of Reading, and The Brown Bookshelf.