SUPERMOM

A playful tale offering readers a peek at moms across the species. Supermom is a wonder to behold: she propagates her species, plays the greatest games, protects, and nurtures her young. The main text comments on the general theme of each page—playing, communicating, defending—while the subtext, set in a bolder typeface, provides captions for the illustrations of different creatures. Moms of all types are celebrated: human, animal, and insect mothers alike receive accolades. While the book does not provide an in-depth, scientific approach to the mothering habits of various animals, it does offer readers intriguing tidbits of animal-mom trivia. However, Manning's scope proves to be too broad; his attempts to establish connections among all mothers result in a few glaring missteps in the text, limiting its appeal. The assertion that "We call the person who gave birth to us 'mom.' We call the grownup who takes care of us 'mom,' too" is not applicable (and more than a little misleading) for the large number of children in daycare or those who stay at home with their fathers, grandparents, or other relatives. Furthermore, to say that all moms are "supermoms" and therefore gentle, nurturing, cuddly, etc., is simply wishful thinking. Ganström's full-color illustrations highlight a nice variety of moms busily mothering, be it a bear cuddling her young cub, or a wolf frolicking with her pups. Each two-page spread features moms of different species engaged in similar activities, establishing, with more success than the text, a clearer connection between these seemingly disparate mothers. A clever concept supported by appealing illustrations that sadly falls short of the mark. (Picture book. 4-8)