a Mother's Day book list

To celebrate Mother's Day, I'd like to share a list of my favorite books about mothers and their special relationship with their children. Although there are many lovely books in publication depicting mothers, these are a few of my person favorites. I hope you find an old favorite or a new gem among this list.

Time for Bed - Although this book doesn't specifically address mothers, the pictures depict a sweet interaction between an animal mother and her baby on each double page spread. The text on each is a rhyming lullaby to help baby to sleep and expresses a lovely sentiment. All of my babies loved this bedtime story, and I always enjoyed reading it to them.

Owl Babies - I didn't discover this gem until my youngest was a baby, but it quickly became a favorite. It succinctly addresses the fear of many little ones when mommy is gone, whether it's to the store for a quick trip, or to the bathroom with--horror of horrors--the door closed. Even though my baby is now 7, he still reaches for this book on occasion.

Are You My Mother? - This is the only book on the list that I remember and love from my own childhood. A baby bird's search for his mother is complicated by the fact that he isn't quite sure what she looks like. Hilarity ensues and makes for a perfect first reader for the preschool or early elementary set.

The Kissing Hand - My daughter discovered this book when she was 3, and it became a nightly read for her. Although the separation mentioned in this book is because of school, many children relate to the notion of holding onto their mother's kisses regardless of why they are separated. My youngest did a unit of this during kindergarten, and it quickly became a favorite of his as well.

Ramona and Her Mother - Ramona is 7 (and a half!) in this Ramona book and struggling a bit with growing up. She's jealous of her older sister and discovering that families occasionally have problems. Her relationship with her mother is going through some changes as well, and Ramona can't understand why she can't just remain her mother's little girl. Fortunately, Cleary provides hope for all children who feel misunderstood. As children grow older and the relationship with their mothers evolve, Ramona and Her Mother does an excellent job of helping them navigate those sometimes turbulent years.

Little Women - Little Women. How could any list of books about motherhood not include the loving, progressive Marmee. A pillar of strength in time of trouble, Marmee represents the best attributes of all of our mothers. Marmee is wise, steadfast, hard-working, a counsellor in time of trouble. She has strong principles and believes that the poorest members of society are just as important as the wealthiest. She raises her daughters to chase their dreams and believe in their talents. In my opinion, Marmee is the perfect role model of motherhood, yet even she admits she used to have a temper.

Owl Babies

Finn received Owl Babies when he was around 18 months old, and it quickly became his favorite book to read at bedtime. The heartwarming story of these 3 baby owls who wait patiently, if nervously, for their owl mommy to return from her journey will melt any mama's heart, and the lyrical text will captivate any little one's attention.

Martin Waddell's illustrations provide the perfect compliment to the sweet dialogue between the little owl siblings. The owl babies look like an amazing combination of adorable, innocent, and anxious with their huge eyes and soft downy feathers.

Little Bill particularly captured Finn's heart, which I spoke of here, and we would frequently read the story together with me pausing for him to recite the words of Bill. You could almost hear Finn's breath catch in his throat nearly every time we arrived at this page where the 3 baby owls closed their eyes wishing that their mother would return quickly.

"And she came. Soft and silent, she swooped through the trees to Sarah and Percy and Bill."

I can guarantee this little book will steal your heart and provide the perfect book to snuggle in your own nest with your mama-needing little ones.

Happy Autumn!

Autumn was the first Gerda Muller book that made it's way into our collection when Finn was about 1 1/2 years old. At the time, he was content to sit with it for about 10 seconds before wandering off to find a car...but that was the case for most books at that age. As the season progressed and he moved toward his second birthday, I found myself referring to this wordless picture book when we engaged in a particularly autumnal task, and as a result, he began sitting with it on his own for longer periods of time.

Now Autumn is an eagerly anticipated join to move to the seasonal book basket we keep in our living room, and the rest of Gerda Muller's seasonal books have joined us as well. Her illustrations are simply darling and so handily capture the magic of each season from a young child's perspective.

I think Finn may have even learned a trick or two about enjoying each season's nature from these books. I remember him asking me last year if we could throw some leaves. :)

first art books

I discovered one of these at a high end children's shop and one at a thrift shop when Finn was very small and they quickly became two of his favorite board books. With such vibrant color and varied art, they captured his attention and even occasionally now he'll flip through one and want to talk about the images he sees.

Part of the Mini Masters board book series, A Magical Day with Matisse features such lovely, vibrant color overflowing even beyond the magical paintings of Matisse.

Loosely describing the scene, lyrical text accompanies the paintings, although sometimes we would just talk about the items in the room, for example, instead of reading it like a book.

Elizabeth has held immense love for Van Gogh since she was about 3 so it was natural that she would want to share In The Garden With Van Gogh with her brother.

Even now as Finn is moving beyond the board book phase, we enjoy counting the irises and grouping them by color. Endless possibilities!