Themed Reviews: Mother's Day

My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it. - Mark Twain

   Mother's Day is a special day when we show the mom's in our life how much they mean to us. We make them breakfast in bed, shower them with flowers and gifts-don't forget that nothing beats a homemade card for Mom. Held on the second Sunday of May-this year on May 13-this holiday dates back to the early 1900s. It became a national holiday in 1914 when President Wilson and congress issued a proclamation, stating the day was a chance to "publicly express our love and reverence for the mothers of our country." Browse through the following selections for stories to share with any mothers in your life.

http://www.clcd.com/features/th_mothersday.php

For more information about Mother's Day visit:
http://www.pbs.org/parents/special/mothersday.html
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/woodrow-wilson-proclaims-the-first-mothers-day-holiday
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1900454,00.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother%27s_Day_(US)

What's Special About Me, Mama?

Kristina Evans

Illustrated by Javaka Steptoe

Unconditional love resonates in words and images emphasizing a boy's importance to his family. Symbolizing hugs and kisses, X's and O's faintly cover the background on several pages in which the child initiates his queries to his mother. A double-page spread shows their faces as the mother, consistently addressing her son as Love, tells him he has many unique qualities and compliments his expressive eyes. He counters that people remark that his eyes resemble hers and demands she divulge why he is special. The mother praises his skin color. The son insists his skin is not unusual because it matches his father's complexion. The accompanying illustration shows the father embracing the son. The child's request for details confirming his uniqueness is reiterated as he responds that his grandmother and aunt have the hair and freckle attributes his mother admires. He minimizes the value of his hugs, kisses, generosity, and kindness, resulting in his mother revealing an answer to his question that satisfies him. Illustrations convey the theme of belonging as the son interacts with his parents and relatives, showing them hugging, touching hands, cooking together, and playing at the beach. The collages represent how the family members celebrate their shared physical characteristics, emotions, and loyalty. Brown, black, green, yellow, blue, lavender, and blue hues highlight the gentle essence of the characters and their settings. The steadfast bond between the boy and adults presented in art and text stresses trust, consistency, dependability, and acceptance, creating an appealing story to read aloud. Pair with Javaka Steptoe's In Daddy's Arms I am Tall: African Americans Celebrating Fathers (1997). 2011, Disney Jump at the Sun Books/Disney Book Group, Ages 3 to 6, $16.99. Reviewer: Elizabeth D. Schafer (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9780786852741