Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A young narrator praises his mother for such maternal deeds as knowing when to change his diaper when he was a baby, baking "the best" cookies, and serving a warm breakfast when it's cold out. More diverting are revelations of her spunkiness: she teaches him to dance the polka, takes him to school in grandfather's antique truck, and shows kids how to write their initials in the air with sparklers. Pastel borders frame spare, warm portraits of mother and son: as the mother faces readers, fresh Popsicles at the ready, she resembles no less then a modern-day saint. Ages 3-5. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-DePaola offers a portrait of a little boy and his doting mother, who bakes cookies, sews Halloween costumes, and can even stand on her head. Each page offers one of her skills, with soft, acrylic paintings illustrating the full range of her abilities. This story acts as more of a nostalgic picture album of dePaola's childhood than as a fully developed story, but the simple sweetness of the vignettes both in text and illustration present a heartfelt tribute to one fabulous woman. While the story is an endearing celebration of one specific parent, it's unlikely to resonate with many of today's children.-Sarah Townsend, Norfolk Public Library, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
A young boy offers evidence of his mother's smarts: she can change diapers, bake cookies, dance the polka, and stand on her head. DePaola's tender, pastel-hued illustrations aren't set in any specific time, while his text (a nod to memories of his own mother) celebrates a child's ideas--some stereotypical, some not--of motherhood. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
This little boy's mother is so smart, "[s]he always knew when to change my diaper." She also dresses him in a snowsuit in the winter, makes "the best cookies" and, "when it's cold out...gives us breakfast that makes us warm." In most respects, this Supermom is Everymom, and her son's awed appreciation is winning in its ingenuousness. But, according to the jacket bio, dePaola's mother had some specific smarts. "She knows how to drive my grandfather's old delivery truck." And when little Tomie's teacher tells him he has to wait outside after school, he has just the right riposte. The artist's characteristic borders give the book a cozy intimacy that allows this petite memoir to connect with its modern audience. For a holiday too often characterized by cold-hearted calculation, this sweetly honest offering hits just the right note. (Picture book. 3-5)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
