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32 pp.
| Houghton
| April, 2017
|
TradeISBN 978-0-544-88033-7$8.99 Reissue (1986, Clarion)
(2)
K-3
Illustrated by
Jan Brett.
Three mouse siblings slip quietly out of the house early Mother's Day morning to find presents in the woods. After nearly being caught by a fox and an owl, they give Mother a dandelion and strawberry--and Little Mouse sings a song. Brett's illustrations, rendered in glowing, brilliant colors, are the perfect complement to the cozy, sentimental story. An affectionate tribute to the holiday.
24 pp.
| Child's
| January, 2017
|
LibraryISBN 978-1503816534$27.07
(4)
K-3
Welcome, Spring! series.
These books discuss springtime celebrations important to American culture. Although the brief, choppy texts provide scant information about each holiday, the books can serve as springboards for classroom discussion or further research. The colorful photographs feature children and adults of many ethnicities happily celebrating. Craft projects are included, but the instructions are unclear and adult assistance may be required. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Welcome, Spring! titles: Celebrating Earth Day, Celebrating St. Patrick's Day, and It's Mother's Day!.
(4)
1-3
Calico Kid: Carlos & Carmen series.
Illustrated by
Erika Meza.
In four purposeful but cheery transitional readers about Carlos and Carmen Garcia, the twins discover treasure on the beach, learn to ride bikes, turn a botched recipe into a delicious Mother's Day gift, and play in the snow with their tío. The text, which includes a smattering of Spanish words (glossary appended), is engaging; slick illustrations feature bold colors and lots of energy. Review covers the following Calico Kid: Carlos & Carmen titles: The Sandy Weekend, Tío Time, The Wobbly Wheels, and The Yummy Mistake.
(3)
1-3
Katie Woo series.
Illustrated by
Tammie Lyon.
In Scout, Katie resents a scouting partner who out-treasure-hunts her. In Mother's Day, Katie scrambles to find a gift for her mom. Each transitional chapter book provides practice in reading words and sentences that are a step beyond the basics, followed by discussion questions, writing prompts, and an activity. As usual for this series, the illustrations depict welcome diversity among the characters. Glos. Review covers these Katie Woo titles: Katie's Happy Mother's Day and Katie Woo, Super Scout.
32 pp.
| Chronicle
| May, 2015
|
TradeISBN 978-1-4521-1190-2$16.99
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Holly Clifton-Brown.
Stella is anxious about her class's upcoming Mother's Day celebration: she has two dads but no mom to bring. The love-makes-a-family message is received gladly, but the story's scaffolding shows (e.g., it's implausible that Stella's classmates at her socially progressive school wouldn't know until May that she has two dads). The watercolors are sensitive and inviting, befitting the subject matter.
32 pp.
| North-South
| May, 2014
|
TradeISBN 978-0-7358-4164-2$17.95
(3)
K-3
Translated by Andrew Rushton.
Illustrated by
Eve Tharlet.
Davy and his rabbit siblings prepare for Mother's Day by practicing the behaviors detailed in their parents' book, The Well-Raised Bunny. The resulting lunch party delights Davy's mom and convinces the bunnies that good behavior is "not as difficult as it seems." The cheery watercolor illustrations and gentle humor help make the lesson go down easy.
24 pp.
| Amazon
| April, 2013
|
TradeISBN 978-1-4778-1647-9$14.99
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Jana Christy.
A boy has some Mother's Day advice for readers: "Do NOT give her dead flies...unless she is a spider." "Do NOT give her some mosquitoes...unless she is a bat." Concluding nine don'ts is the book's only "do": a hug and kiss. It's all blandly amusing and features humorous illustrations showing a mom reacting to her misguided almost-gifts.
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Rudy Gutierrez.
A mother and daughter have a nice day together, starting with working in the garden and ending with a surprise Mother's Day celebration. The story effectively incorporates some Spanish words and phrases throughout the text, while accompanying illustrations in vibrant hues capture both the tale's contemporary setting and traditional Latino patterns and designs.
32 pp.
| Cavendish
| April, 2010
|
TradeISBN 978-0-7614-5633-9$15.99
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Kathi Ember.
Unlike the other animals, Violet, a snake, doesn't know what to prepare for the perfect Mother’s Day gift. After some thought and much practice, she twists herself into a heart shape to show her mother how she feels. The story is bland and has a slow start, but the acrylic illustrations of forest animals are mildly amusing.
40 pp.
| Charlesbridge
| July, 2009
|
TradeISBN 978-1-58089-156-1$9.95
(4)
K-3
With James Rumford. Max refuses to color the flower drawing that his teacher distributes to the class in honor of Mother's Day: he knows that his mom would prefer his hand-drawn illustration. The sweet story is rather purposeful--and overblown (a police officer is summoned after Max runs off)--but the spare illustrations are tenderly expressive.
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Jack E. Davis.
In lieu of candy or flowers, T. Rex wants to do something special for his mom on Mother’s Day. Remembering past Mother's Day messes, she insists that a great big hug is all she really wants. Readers will appreciate the generous spirit behind each of T. Rex's less-than-useful gifts. Goofy cartoon illustrations add the extra humor that T. Rex's fans love.
(3)
K-3
Wanting Mom all to himself on Mother's Day, opossum Gilbert does what he can to get his sister out of the way. More than the homemade card, breakfast in bed, or chocolate ice cream, though, Gilbert's inadvertent babysitting is what Mom appreciates most. Gilbert's mixed motivations will resonate with readers, as will the comfortably recognizable images of Gilbert and family.
48 pp.
| Millbrook
| March, 2007
|
LibraryISBN 978-0-8225-6367-9$25.26
(4)
4-6
All New Holiday Crafts for Kids series.
Illustrated by
Sharon Lane Holm.
Illustrated directions for twenty-two gifts--some for Mom, some for Dad, and some appropriate for either--explain how to turn paper, old neckties, cardboard, felt, and ribbon into the usual picture frames, cards, and refrigerator magnets. A few projects are clever, but most are uninspired.
32 pp.
| Children's
| April, 2005
|
TradeISBN 0-89239-204-5$16.95
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Cecilia Concepcion Alvarez.
Antonio is embarrassed by his mother's female partner--Leslie dresses butch and has paint splashed on her overalls (she's an artist). Although overcomplicated by a subtheme about spelling, this is an otherwise appealing if message-driven book about a nontraditional family. Bright, happy colors in the full-page illustrations reinforce the optimistic tone. The text is in English and Spanish.
28 pp.
| Good
| April, 2005
|
TradeISBN 1-56148-479-2$9.95
|
PaperISBN 1-56148-481-4$3.95
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Anna Currey.
In Mother's Day, young Sophie Rabbit works hard to create the perfect card for her mother, only to discover it vandalized. In Charge, Sophie's mother gives her the near-impossible task of minding her recalcitrant little brother at her school's summer fair. Both stories are compelling, compassionate, and economically told. The line and watercolor illustrations in muted hues suit the sweet-natured stories. Review covers these titles: Sophie and the Mother's Day Card and {cf2]Sophie in Charge.
40 pp.
| McElderry
| April, 2004
|
TradeISBN 0-689-84977-X$$15.95
(4)
PS
For Mommy on her special day, a pig child enthusiastically fixes breakfast, makes a card, assembles sandwiches, and decorates flowers with a neat toilet-paper bow (a rather unlikely accomplishment). The humorous if heavy oil paintings show her good-natured mother following behind, cleaning up the inevitable messes. Cute, but rather parent-pointed.
32 pp.
| Star Bright
| April, 2004
|
TradeISBN 1-932065-39-3$$8.95 New ed. (1982, Abington)
(4)
PS
Hazel the mouse goes to visit her mother, who's out visiting her mother, who's out visiting her mother, and so on--until the last mouse encounters a menacing cat and all flee, meeting up with one another along the way. Delicate line drawings of Potteresque mice and woodland flora decorate this slight story, here reissued in a small, square gift edition.
(4)
PS
Illustrated by
Lizzy Rockwell.
The kids in Mrs. Madoff's class take turns describing how they will celebrate Mother's Day: Eveline will make beignets for her maman; Sarah, whose mother is dead, will celebrate with her grandmother; etc. The children all sound the same, but the up-with-difference message, reinforced by the cheerful and tidy candy-colored illustrations, is welcome in a book about a day known to inspire cookie-cutter sentiments.
40 pp.
| Simon
| April, 2004
|
TradeISBN 0-689-81178-0$$14.95
(3)
K-3
Ready-to-Read: Henry and Mudge Books series.
Illustrated by
Carolyn Bracken.
Henry and his dad always make a crazy lunch for Mom on Mother's Day. This year, they create a pineapple sofa, complete with a reclining fruit family. They plan, shop, and cook, all with trusty Mudge at their side, and the lunch is a hit. These funny meal plans, paired with lighthearted illustrations, are sure to capture readers' imaginations.
(3)
K-3
Holiday House Readers series.
This four-chapter book tells the story of how kittens Harry and Emily prepare for Mother's Day: growing flowers, cooking creative peanut butter pancakes, and serving their mother breakfast in bed. But despite all of their efforts--and the messy outcome--nothing can top the children as Mother's favorite present of all. Sketchy, childlike illustrations help make this an accessible story for beginning readers.