MAMA WON'T MIND

Hooray! It’s Mama’s birthday!

It’s the morning of July 30, and Henry, a sweet young raccoon in red overalls, can’t wait to celebrate his mother’s big day. He bounds out of the house “up the hill, through the forest, along the creek all the way to the field!” It’s filled with sunflowers—“Mama’s favorite”—and he picks one as a gift. On his way home, he encounters numerous anthropomorphized forest denizens who compliment the sunflower (“Those petals look soft and feathery”); in return, Henry generously offers them bits of the golden bloom, like seeds, petals, and a piece of the stalk (“Mama won’t mind,” he reasons). After going on an adventure of his own, Henry is left with nothing to give Mama. With some ingenuity, he makes an imperfect facsimile of her gift, and, with a little grace and understanding, Mama and Henry joyfully celebrate her special day together. Bahr and Kaulitzki have crafted a warm look at familial love and the well-meaning enthusiasm of children. Kaulitzki’s digital illustrations provide an appropriately idyllic setting for this sweet, at times sentimental story of a youngster who gets caught up in the moment. Filled with onomatopoeia, effective page turns, and expressive characters, this will make for a solid read-aloud.

Gentle reassurance that in the end, it truly is the thought that counts.