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A refreshing story about Mother’s Day features a terrifically thoughtful girl who comes up with just the right present. Charity, who is probably in first grade, hears from her teacher that there are two days until Mother’s Day. She starts thinking about a gift, dismissing silly suggestions. The next day, she views her multi-tasking mother handling toast, dishwasher, phone, and microwave, maintaining a harried, frantic pace. Anxiety keeps Charity awake Saturday night till she thinks of the perfect gift. She unplugs the clocks and turns off “everything that beeps or bleeps or buzzes.” The clever and homey text is illustrated with comic scenes that exaggerate the mother’s busy life without—for most households—making it absurd. Charity’s care in coming up with a present is subtly conveyed, making the lesson far more powerful. (Picture book. 5-7)
