Mother children’s book recommendation is by Angela Ferraris, The Retired School Librarian.
(The content below contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, Mrs. Ferraris may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. The Retired School Librarian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.)
A Cup of Quiet
by Nikki Grimes (Author), Cathy Ann Johnson (Illustrator)
Summary: When a grandmother and granddaughter’s day becomes a bit too noisy, they retreat to the garden to find peace and stillness together.
Comments: The illustrations were created with mixed media, watercolor, gouache, acrylic, and digital.
Rating: 4.5/5đź“—đź“—đź“—đź“—1/2
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
Fierce Aunties!
by Laurel Goodluck (Author), Steph Littlebird (Illustrator)
Summary: This text honors the important, loving, and protective roles that aunties hold in Native families and communities, especially during times when parents may be preoccupied. Aunties are not limited to being a mom’s or dad’s sister; they can also be older cousins or close family friends.
Comments: The illustrations were created in Procreate.
Rating: 4/5 đź“—đź“—đź“—đź“—
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
The Greatest River
by Namita Moolani Mehra (Author), Khoa Le (Illustrator)
Summary: Ananda, a young girl, listens to her sick mother talk about the legend of the Ganga, a holy river that heals those who bathe in its waters. Ananda accompanies her aunt, Maasi, to bathe in the Ganges River in India and experiences a spiritual connection.
Comments: The author’s note explains that at 13, she traveled from New York with her mother to bathe in the sacred river.
Rating: 4.5/5 đź“—đź“—đź“—đź“—1/2
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
Grumpy Monkey Mom for a Day
by Suzanne Lang (Author), Max Lang (Illustrator)
Summary: Jim Panzee volunteers to take care of jungle babies so their mothers can rests. He learns that being a mom is not as easy as it looks.
Comments: A fun and whimsical book to read aloud.
Rating: 3.5/5 đź“—đź“—đź“—1/2
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
Home Is a Wish
by Julia Kuo (Author, Illustrator)
Summary: A young girl, her mother, and Amah leave their home for a new one in a different country where everything feels unfamiliar. Over time, they work together to create a new home.
Comments: A gentle book about immigration that would be a wonderful read aloud.
The illustrations were created using Adobe Photoshop and a Wacom tablet.
Rating: 4.5 đź“—đź“—đź“—đź“—1/2
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
I Loved You First
by Jenna Bush Hager (Author), Barbara Pierce Bush (Author), Ramona Kaulitzki (Illustrator)
Summary: This book is a heartfelt expression of the unconditional love a parent feels for their child as soon as they hold their child and spend time with them as they grow up.
Comments: The illustrations were created using hand-painted textures and digital watercolor, and pencil brushes in Photoshop.
Rating: 3.5/5 đź“—đź“—đź“—1/2
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
Midnight Motorbike
by Maureen Shay Tajsar (Author), Ishita Jain (Illustrator)
Summary: A dreamy bedtime adventure where a girl and her Amma take a motorbike ride through the moonlit city, celebrating imagination and connection while smelling, seeing, hearing everything around them.
Comments: The illustrations were created with gouache, acrylic gouache, crayons, and colored pencils.
Rating: 4/5 đź“—đź“—đź“—đź“—
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
My Mom
by Susan Quinn (Author), Sarah Mathew (Illustrator)
Summary: A gentle and loving tribute to the many roles a mother plays in her child’s life, from nurturer to superhero.
Comment: This would be a nice bedtime story.
Rating: 3.5/5 đź“—đź“—đź“—1/2
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
Outside Mom, Inside Mom
by Jane Park (Author), Lenny Wen (Illustrator)
Summary: A Korean American child and his mother, Umma, behave differently in public compared to how they act in private. When they are outside, they use English, but when they are at home, they communicate in Korean. They adapt their language to fit their social identity, switching between languages as needed until they feel more comfortable and safe in their new environment.
Comments: I appreciated how the mother and child shared how they express their feelings and behavior in different environments.
The illustrations were created in gouache and colored pencils.
A superb read aloud!
Rating: 4.5/5 đź“—đź“—đź“—đź“—1/2
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
That’s Not Funny, David!Â
by David Shannon (Author, Illustrator)
Summary: David is a comedian who tries to make everyone laugh, but he discovers that not all of his antics are funny to everyone. Ultimately, he still has his mother’s unconditional love.
Comments: He’s back! I missed David. I’d recognize that giant head and triangular teeth anywhere. Children identify with the antics of this little boy and laugh out loud.
A must for every library.
Rating: 5/5 đź“—đź“—đź“—đź“—đź“—
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
Wash Day with Mama
by Monica Mikai (Author)
Summary: A young girl treasures each step of her hair washing ritual with her mother, who shares self-care, self-love, and pride in one’s identity tips while sharing jokes and singing.
Comments: Sweet story of mother and daughter bonding.
The illustrations were created digitally using Procreate on an iPad Pro.
Rating: 4/5 đź“—đź“—đź“—đź“—
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
We Leap Together
by Christopher Silas Neal (Author)
Summary: A humpback whale and calf are compared to the many similarities of a human mother and her child.
Comments: The illustrations were created with mixed media.
Rating: 4/5 đź“—đź“—đź“—đź“—
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
The selected children’s books are chosen by a highly qualified retired elementary school librarian, who passionately reads and recommends picture books to teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book enthusiasts.
Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris recommends are checked out from the public library. The only exception is for the complimentary copies that she receives for an honest review, which are duly noted.