CAROLINE AND THE NOT-MAMMA

In this picture book, a grandmother looks after her grumpy little granddaughter.

Caroline, a pale-skinned toddler who wears a pink tutu and striped top, isn’t happy that her parents are leaving her for a short time with her grandmother. For the little girl, what this means is dealing with “Not-Mamma.” Patient and unflappable, Caroline’s grandmother fixes a meal, cleans the girl’s high chair, and takes her to the park. They have such a good time that on returning home, Caroline gets over her bad mood and crawls on her grandmother’s lap for a story before her nap. Leary, in this third installment of her Happy Happy After Story series, offers a charming, quietly tender, and very funny take on the melodramatic emotions of small children. For example, when Caroline throws a tantrum because Not-Mamma might eat her with her “terrifying teeth,” the narration drolly reads: “ ‘Oh dear, Caroline,’ said Not-Mamma, not eating her.” The repetitions, including Caroline’s screaming fits, also work well. The images by Kochetova are as delightfully amusing as the text and contribute to the story through elements like the family cat’s expressive reactions.

An absolutely hilarious family tale, entertainingly illustrated and empathetic.