Laughter, tears and “all the feelings”: 10 picture books to celebrate Mother’s Day

Estimated reading time: 6-7 minutes

SALT LAKE CITY — My earliest memories include lying next to my mother on her bed, listening to her read story after story to me during a beloved daily ritual we called “bookie hour.”

I never really considered my mom to be a big reader growing up. She was so busy doing a million other things, and at the end of the day when she took “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” for the umpteenth time in an attempt to bond with me above of my obsession, it would put her to sleep faster than Hagrid’s flute could for Fluffy the three-headed dog.

But even though I recognize that my father is more of a reader than my mother, she was the one who helped me fall in love with books; she’s the one who slipped me money over the years so I could feed my book fair addiction; she who took me to Louisa May Alcott, where I bought my first copy of “Little Women”.

How many of us can say we learned to love reading at our mothers’ feet? Or else our beloved mothers, grandmothers, aunts and teachers who were an essential part of the village that raised us? In honor of Mother’s Day, here are 10 wonderful books to celebrate the women who first loved us.

“I Wish You More” by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

As mothers, we want more for our children than life can provide. We don’t like to see our children’s hearts ache or their knees scratched. Of course, although these things are inevitable, we can still dream. “I wish you moreis a cute book with even cuter wishes such as “I wish you more hugs than chicks” and “I wish you more snowflakes than tongues.” The illustrations that accompany each wish are adorable.

“Someday” by Alison McGhee and Peter Reynolds

“One day” is a beautiful love letter to the cycle of motherhood. Whether it’s watching the snowflakes melt on your baby’s skin, holding your child’s hand as you cross the street, seeing him going off to college, becoming a parent himself, and knowing he’ll eventually grow old and remember you. Grab the tissues for this one if you’re not ready already.

“Five Minutes of Peace” by Jill Murphy

While the previous two books capture the fleeting and loving nature of motherhood, “five minutes of peace” is a humorous and relatable story for all mums around the world who need a break. It was one of my and my mum’s favorite reads in the aforementioned “bookies time”, and I came to appreciate it as a mother myself for completely different reasons than as a child.

Mrs. Large, an elephant mother of three, just wants five minutes of peace with her children so she can take a nice hot bath. But her children have other plans – whether it’s playing her an instrument, reading her a story or bringing her bath toys, Mrs Large’s grand plans of five minutes alone are continually interrupted , until the end, when she gets a good three minutes and forty-five seconds of alone time.

“The Seven Silly Eaters” by Mary Ann Hoberman

“The Seven Silly Eaters“might be my favorite children’s book of all time. The story features Mrs. Peters, an exhausted mother of seven who spends the majority of her time cooking special meals for each of her children, who have different tastes. very different. One child will only drink warm milk, while his sister prefers freshly squeezed pink lemonade. Then there is homemade bread, applesauce, oatmeal and two different kinds of eggs for The Twins Poor Mrs. Peters is on the verge of depression when her seven darling Peters form a secret birthday surprise that turns out to be even better than expected.

“The Best Mother” by CM Surrisi

“The best mother” is the story of a little girl named Maxine who doesn’t like getting up in the morning and brushing her teeth, and she certainly doesn’t like being told to wear her sun hat. She believes that the The solution to these problems is to find a new mother, so her old mother takes her to the park, the toy store and the zoo so that Maxine can begin the interview process to find a new mother. to different women such as: “If you were my mother, would you let me play the drum whenever I wanted to?” Maxine learns that the mother she has is perhaps the best of all.

‘Hazel’s Amazing Mother’ by Rosemary Wells

You probably know Rosemary Wells from the “Max and Ruby” series, but “Hazel’s amazing motherwas one I hadn’t read about until recently. Hazel’s mom sends her on a little adventure to buy something for their picnic, but it turns into a mishap when Hazel has a run-in with bullies who ruin her beautiful doll, handmade by her mother.It turns out the joke is on them when a gust of wind blows Hazel’s mother’s picnic blanket over the town – with Hazel’s mother wrapped inside – and drops her straight into a tree above where bullies ruined Hazel’s doll, Eleanor These kids are no match for mama bear d ‘Hazel.

“How to Raise a Mom” ​​by Jean Reagan

The “How to raise a mom“A guide to raising a happy, healthy mother is brought to you by a son and daughter who offer great advice such as:

1. Let your mother sleep a little longer
2. Kiss her to wake her up
3. Relax with her by holding a yoga pose for as long as you can.

This is a sweet Mother’s Day book that encourages kids to treat their mom extra special and reinforces healthy habits for the whole family.

“My Medicine Mom” ​​by Edwidge Danticat

We have all heard or said the phrase “I want my mommy!” at some point in our lives. What’s so comforting about our own mothers? In “my medicine mom“, a little girl teaches the answer by talking about all the different forms of “mommy medicine” she takes – from bubble baths to big hugs to card games. This book offers many different suggestions for moms to help children feel better when they are sick or sad.

“I love you, stinky face” by Lisa McCourt

This humorous tale will have you and your child laughing. In “I love you, stinky face,“a little boy challenges his mother’s love by asking if she would still love him if he were a scary big ape, a one-eyed monster, a super-stinky skunk named Stinky Face and more. Of course, imagination of the boy is creative, but it’s no match for his mother’s undying love for him.

“You made me a mother” by Laurenne Sala

This one will hit you in all the feels, moms, as you remember what it was like to learn you were pregnant and the fears and excitement that accompanied and followed it. “You made me a motheris a good reminder of the beautiful gift of motherhood and the love we have for our children.

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