I loved this picture book when I reviewed it recently. What mother hasn’t felt like a sidekick, tagging along on their child’s adventure in imagination? With its rhyming text and appealing, humorous illustrations, A Really Super Hero is a wonderful celebration of the role mothers play in encouraging their children’s confidence and imagination.
See the full KBR review right here.
Harriet, You’ll Drive me Wild! by Mem Fox, illustrated by Marla Frazee (Hodder Children’s Books Australia, 9780733613128)
Harriet Harris doesn’t mean to be pesky. Sometimes she just is.
Told with humour and warmth, many mothers and children will relate to this story of a well-meaning child and a multitasking mother who sometimes don’t do things quite the way they want to. Harriet You’ll Drive Me Wild! reminds us that we all make mistakes, but love allows us to see past the accidental hurts to cherish the special moments together.
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (Red Fox Books, $14.95, 9780099408390)
It’s probably an unusual Mothers’ Day book selection, but I’ve always been impressed with the mother in Maurice Sendak’s classic Where the Wild Things Are. She has obviously created an environment where Max is able to be creative and use his imagination. When he misbehaves and things go too far, she steps in to calm things down with a time out for Max and, at the end of the day, it is the warm meal that she brings Max that draws him home from his Wild Things adventure.
Max’s mother allows him to explore his imagination, offers discipline when necessary and takes care of him in a way that calls to him when he is far away. I like that.
The Grandma Book by Todd Parr (ABC Books, $16.99, 0733317987)
Some grandmas like to dance.
Some grandmas like to play bingo.
All grandmas like to give you lots of kisses.
Grandmothers hold such a special place in the lives and hearts of their grandchildren. With its boldly coloured illustrations and simple text, The Grandma Book is a tribute to all things Grandmas like to do and all the things that make them special. Everyone’s grandma is hidden in the pages of this book somewhere. I’m aiming to be the grandma who gives lots of books.
The Potato People by Pamela Allen (Puffin Books, $14.95, 9780143500865)
Every Friday, Jack spends the day with his Grandma. They romp roly-poly on the ground, they read stories and they eat cake. Then, one cold and rainy Friday, they make the potato people…
I have wonderful memories of times spent with my grandmother as a child and I think The Potato People captures the special relationship children can form with their grandparents. The affection Jack and his grandmother feel for each other comes through so clearly to create a warm, feel-good story that is perfect for (Grand)Mothers Day.
