MAMA, I’LL GIVE YOU THE WORLD

A loving little girl gives her Mama a special gift in this gentle affirmation. Every day after school, the bus drops Luisa at the door of Walter’s World of Beauty where Mama works “cutting, coloring, and curling.” While Mama clips and combs, Luisa does her homework. Then she wields scissors, colored paper and glue to create portraits of Mama’s customers, everyone different, but “everyone . . . a flower.” Mama scrupulously saves her tips for Luisa’s college fund because one day she wants to give Luisa the world. But Luisa knows Mama used to love to dance in a place called Roseland when Papa was around. Now Mama never dances and rarely smiles. For Mama’s birthday, Luisa conspires with favorite customers to “turn the World into Roseland” so Mama will smile and dance again. Brimming with life and humor, Gallagher’s stunning full-color oil illustrations trace Luisa’s fairy godmother-like transformation of Mama from hardworking single parent into a real world Cinderella who becomes the “prettiest flower in the World.” A heartwarming metamorphosis. (Picture book. 4-6)