Tuesday Storytime: Winter Mamas

I cheated slightly with these, as they are all set in winter, but the focus is on the relationship between the mother and child. 

Mama, Do You Love Me?

Barbara M. Joosse, illustrated by Barbara Lavallee

ISBN: 0590459848

A lovely stylized book focusing on a traditional Inuit mother and child, with the child wondering whether Mother would still love her under different circumstances, ranging from accidents to michief to ever-more-outlandish propositions of transformations into scary animals. Very sweet, illustratively fantastic.

On Mother's Lap

Ann Herbert Scott, illustrated by Glo Coalson

ISBN: 0395589207

Another Northern Native American (unfortunately unidentified in the text, but widely considered to also be Inuit) mother and child story. Michael is ready for a nice afternoon on the rocking chair with Mother, but he wants to include all of his toys and blanket and pet.... and really there's just no room for the little sibling at all. Mother gently intervenes and reminds the boy that there's always room for everyone.

Big Snow

Jonathan Bean

ISBN: 9780374306960

David and his mom are getting ready for a big snow, and for overnight guests. Well, MOM is getting ready, and David is helping sporadically before getting perpetually distracted by the onset of snowy weather. An interesting naptime dream makes for some late-story drama, and the conclusion is a bit abrupt.

Tuesday Storytime: Sharing

These books are all delightful, and I'm glad I had the chance to put them all together.

Mail Harry to the Moon!

Robie H. Harris, illustrated by Michael Emberley

ISBN: 9780316153768

Very expressive faces and cartoony panel/vignette sequences.

Before Harry, there was Just Me.  Now there's Harry, who eats off my banana, who messes with my things, steals grandma's lap, and screams all night.  Our poor nameless narrator is very frustrated, but has a series of great ideas to solve the problem: throw Harry in the trash, stuff him down the toilet, stick him in the zoo, Mail Harry to the Moon!  Until he wakes up the next morning and doesn't see or hear or smell anything from the little guy.  What is there to do but journey to the moon to enact a rescue, and maybe discover that Harry's good for something after all.

On Mother's Lap

Ann Herbert Scott, illustrated by Glo Coalson (original sepia-tone edition)
ISBN: 0070558973 (?)  Published 1972, McGraw-Hill

Serene drawings of an Inuit family share a wise message about mother love.

 Michael is happy sitting and rocking with Mother, but he doesn't want his friends left out of the love, so first Dolly, then Boat, then Puppy, all end up snuggling under a reindeer blanket on the rocking chair with Mother.  But when Baby starts to cry, Michael is adamant that there is just not enough room.  (the facial expressions are priceless here) Mother disagrees, and gently shows that there is always room for everyone on Mother's lap.  Classic for a good reason.

Share

Sally Anne Garland

ISBN: 9781771470056

Sketchy-drawn bunny children in colorful evocative backgrounds.

Bunny's cousin is visiting, and he's not quite as old as she is.  Her mother pleads with her repeatedly to understand and to share, while she tries a variety of activities that the little one spoils accidentally.  Mother explains that he is copying and following and pestering because he wants to be just like her, and commiserates that it's difficult to handle little ones.  The ending is a little confusing, as Aunty retrieves the cousin with the wording "now it's his turn to share" - but he doesn't share anything? just gives her a hug and a thank you, which is nice, but not exactly sharing as a child understands it.  Regardless, still very nice and illustrative for the sometimes strained relationship between siblings or friends of slightly different ages.