Wood’s companion title to What Dads Can’t Do (p. 725) is a droll salute to motherhood. A young child considers the many “limitations” his mother stoically endures; from her apparent inability to make tasty brown-bag lunches to her difficulties with saying good-bye. Young children will get a kick out of the comical text—“Sometimes moms can’t hear themselves think (whatever that means)”—and the topsy-turvy perspective of a world according to preschoolers. As expected, this whimsical enumeration of a mom’s short-comings is more of a reflection of the child’s outlook than the reality of the situation. What is an unexpected treasure is how such brief and utterly comical statements can convincingly convey the deep bonds between mother and child. This is in part due to the interplay between the text and art. Each pithy statement is accompanied by brightly colored pen-and-ink drawings that deftly capture the boundless energy of small fry and the steadfast patience that is a job requirement of motherhood. Cushman’s wryly humorous drawings provide the “subtext” to the tale and tell the real story; e.g., “Moms can never pick out just the right clothes” is accompanied by the comical illustration of a pint-sized despot, clad only in his undies, staunchly refusing a myriad of outfits proffered by his long-suffering parent. The dynamic interaction between prose and pictures makes this sweetly funny and winsome tale a delight for adults to read and children to hear. (Picture book. 4-8)
