A warm meditation on maternal love.
In Santos’ picture book, a child describes how wonderful his mother is.
A tawny-skinned, black-haired little boy loves his mother very much. The boy praises his mother for her teachings, her ability to make plans to protect him (even when he’s not listening), her unconditional love, her humor, and her ability to focus on him even when her own concerns may threaten to overwhelm her. Santos’ rhymes return to the idea that mothers will not be there forever in a way that seems almost maudlin in this context: “Mama, I love you. Though you won’t be alive forever, / I know that your love will never leave, ever!” The child-eye view of motherhood in the text takes into account both the mother’s joys and her struggles; the images take the theme of devotion even further. (A picture of the mother holding back an avalanche of rocks while still helping her child to build a sand castle is sure to resonate with many caregivers.) The watercolor and ink-lined illustrations can be uneven—some look as if photo filters have been applied to create the backgrounds. Santos’ scansion is consistent throughout; she uses accessible vocabulary to help emergent readers. The ending pages describe mothers as selfless, superpowered figures in a way that may feel more like pressure to mom readers than comfort to their children; a section suggesting activities feels more congenial.
A warm meditation on maternal love.Pub Date: April 30, 2021
ISBN: 9781737054801
Page Count: 47
Publisher: Self
Review Posted Online: March 6, 2026
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned.
All the reasons why a daughter needs a mother.
Each spread features an adorable cartoon animal parent-child pair on the recto opposite a rhyming verse: “I’ll always support you in giving your all / in every endeavor, the big and the small, / and be there to catch you in case you should fall. / I hope you believe this is true.” A virtually identical book, Why a Daughter Needs a Dad, publishes simultaneously. Both address standing up for yourself and your values, laughing to ease troubles, being thankful, valuing friendship, persevering and dreaming big, being truthful, thinking through decisions, and being open to differences, among other topics. Though the sentiments/life lessons here and in the companion title are heartfelt and important, there are much better ways to deliver them. These books are likely to go right over children’s heads and developmental levels (especially with the rather advanced vocabulary); their parents are the more likely audience, and for them, the books provide some coaching in what kids need to hear. The two books are largely interchangeable, especially since there are so few references to mom or dad, but one spread in each book reverts to stereotype: Dad balances the two-wheeler, and mom helps with clothing and hair styles. Since the books are separate, it aids in customization for many families.
New parents of daughters will eat these up and perhaps pass on the lessons learned. (Picture book. 4-8, adult)Pub Date: May 1, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4926-6781-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift.
A paean to teachers and their surrogates everywhere.
This gentle ode to a teacher’s skill at inspiring, encouraging, and being a role model is spoken, presumably, from a child’s viewpoint. However, the voice could equally be that of an adult, because who can’t look back upon teachers or other early mentors who gave of themselves and offered their pupils so much? Indeed, some of the self-aware, self-assured expressions herein seem perhaps more realistic as uttered from one who’s already grown. Alternatively, readers won’t fail to note that this small book, illustrated with gentle soy-ink drawings and featuring an adult-child bear duo engaged in various sedentary and lively pursuits, could just as easily be about human parent- (or grandparent-) child pairs: some of the softly colored illustrations depict scenarios that are more likely to occur within a home and/or other family-oriented setting. Makes sense: aren’t parents and other close family members children’s first teachers? This duality suggests that the book might be best shared one-on-one between a nostalgic adult and a child who’s developed some self-confidence, having learned a thing or two from a parent, grandparent, older relative, or classroom instructor.
A sweet, soft conversation starter and a charming gift. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-943200-08-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Compendium
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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