HAPPY MAMAS

Name: HAPPY MAMAS
Author: Kathleen Pelley
ISBN: 978-1-58760-160-6

by Kathleen Pelley illustrated by Ruth E. Harper ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 10, 2016

A warm, sweet, beautifully illustrated book that’s great for reading aloud, although it leaves dads out of the parenting...

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This illustrated children’s book celebrates the joy of mothers taking care of babies across the animal kingdom.

“What makes a Mama happy?” That’s the central question that Pelley (Raj the Bookstore Tiger, 2012, etc.) asks in her latest book, which follows the course of a day: what makes a mother happy “at the dawn of day,” “as the sun begins to climb,” “as clouds shuffle by,” “as twilight glimmers,” and “at hush of night”? And finally, what makes her happiest, overall? The answer, for mothers both human and animal (including a panda, a seal, a kangaroo, an elephant, a monkey, a penguin, and an eagle), is always related to what makes their babies happy—a full stomach, learning about the world, playing, building independence, singing, and, above all else, being loved. Each section ends with a comfortable formula that sums things up: for example, “That’s a—my baby’s belly’s full kind of Happy Mama,” or “That’s a—see my baby go kind of Happy Mama.” The tone is sweet and whimsical, with a lot of alliteration and sometimes rhyme. Seals, for instance, go “Diving deep for a fishy feast…then follow with a flip flap floppy honk of delight!”; a monkey and her baby “Dip and dangle, all a tangle, in a topsy-turvy, fun fandango.” This verbal playfulness makes this book an excellent choice for reading aloud, and Harper (The Kissing Hand, 1996, etc.) offers beautiful illustrations with plenty of absorbing detail. Her soft color washes depict mother-baby play and affection with great charm, and Harper does a wonderful job of capturing the diversity of nature and people and, in particular, the adorability of babies of all kinds. But the book’s view of child care is female-only: an older sister cares for her baby brother at one point, but fathers and brothers are left out of the book entirely. This may be accurate for some animal families, but among humans, mamas often aren’t the only ones who care for their children in the ways depicted here.

A warm, sweet, beautifully illustrated book that’s great for reading aloud, although it leaves dads out of the parenting equation.

Pub Date: Oct. 10, 2016

ISBN: 978-1-58760-160-6

Page Count: 30

Publisher: CWLA Press

Review Posted Online: April 2, 2017

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

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A DOG NAMED SAM

by Janice Boland & illustrated by G. Brian Karas ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1996

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A book that will make young dog-owners smile in recognition and confirm dogless readers' worst suspicions about the mayhem caused by pets, even winsome ones. Sam, who bears passing resemblance to an affable golden retriever, is praised for fetching the family newspaper, and goes on to fetch every other newspaper on the block. In the next story, only the children love Sam's swimming; he is yelled at by lifeguards and fishermen alike when he splashes through every watering hole he can find. Finally, there is woe to the entire family when Sam is bored and lonely for one long night. Boland has an essential message, captured in both both story and illustrations of this Easy-to-Read: Kids and dogs belong together, especially when it's a fun-loving canine like Sam. An appealing tale. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: April 1, 1996

ISBN: 0-8037-1530-7

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Dial Books

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1996

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

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CINDERELLA

From the Once Upon a World series

by Chloe Perkins ; illustrated by Sandra Equihua ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 13, 2016

A nice but not requisite purchase.

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A retelling of the classic fairy tale in board-book format and with a Mexican setting.

Though simplified for a younger audience, the text still relates the well-known tale: mean-spirited stepmother, spoiled stepsisters, overworked Cinderella, fairy godmother, glass slipper, charming prince, and, of course, happily-ever-after. What gives this book its flavor is the artwork. Within its Mexican setting, the characters are olive-skinned and dark-haired. Cultural references abound, as when a messenger comes carrying a banner announcing a “FIESTA” in beautiful papel picado. Cinderella is the picture of beauty, with her hair up in ribbons and flowers and her typically Mexican many-layered white dress. The companion volume, Snow White, set in Japan and illustrated by Misa Saburi, follows the same format. The simplified text tells the story of the beautiful princess sent to the forest by her wicked stepmother to be “done away with,” the dwarves that take her in, and, eventually, the happily-ever-after ending. Here too, what gives the book its flavor is the artwork. The characters wear traditional clothing, and the dwarves’ house has the requisite shoji screens, tatami mats and cherry blossoms in the garden. The puzzling question is, why the board-book presentation? Though the text is simplified, it’s still beyond the board-book audience, and the illustrations deserve full-size books.

A nice but not requisite purchase. (Board book/fairy tale. 3-5)