A Mother's Song

by Janet Lawler, Kathleen Kemly (Illustrator)

Overview

Janet Lawler has created a beautiful follow-up to her acclaimed A Father’s Song—and a wonderful celebration of the bond between mother and child.

All through the year, from summer showers to winter snows, a mother and daughter treasure their special time together. Hand in hand, they wander through the sunny garden, wade through shallow puddles, harvest crunchy apples, and skate and spin on a frozen pond. But above all, they’re…

happy to share

the magic that’s here,

all around, everywhere.

Lawler’s gentle words and Kathleen Kemly’s lovely art make this the ideal Mother’s Day book

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781402769689
Publisher:	Sterling
Publication date:	04/06/2010
Pages:	24
Product dimensions:	9.70(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

Editorial Reviews

A mother and daughter spend time together exploring nature and enjoying seasonal activities. In spring, they “wade in a puddle/ that's not very deep,/ pretending we're frogs,/ croaking loud as we leap.” During the summer, they sit on the porch watching the rain; in autumn, they harvest apples, and in winter, go ice skating: “the pond's frozen over,/ it's slippery-slick./ Hug me and twirl/ in a slow spinning trick.” Endpapers show images of mother and daughter, framed as though they were snapshots. The graceful, pastel artwork and soothing writing beget a breezy message about motherly love. Ages 3-6. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

PreS-Gr 1—A woman invites her daughter to "share nature's wonders" throughout the year. In spring they "wade in a puddle/that's not very deep,/pretending we're frogs,/croaking loud as we leap." When gardens are in summertime bloom, mother and child "sniff, one by one,/the blossoms that burst/in the warmth of the sun." They pick apples together in the fall and make snow angels in the winter. Kemly's bucolic pastel illustrations warmly showcase the close relationship. Some scenes also appear as framed photographs on the endpapers. A sweetly sentimental offering.—Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada

School Library Journal

From spring through winter a mother celebrates her bond with her daughter in syrupy, limping doggerel. "Listen with me / to the happiest birds / calling, �Good morning!' / with chirp-chirping words." The verse marches along in lockstep, forcing unnatural stresses to maintain scansion. While there is the occasional fresh image-"Feel summer showers / fall cool on our toes, / before running off / to wherever rain goes"-the text is only distinguished by its appeal to the maudlin. Kemly's soft pastels largely reflect the text's aesthetic, but she adds a small black-and-white dog to most double-page spreads, which provides continuity and a bit of fun. There's no question this mother-daughter pair is enjoying each other's company, but this is far from the only book with such a portrayal. (Picture book. 3-5)

Kirkus Reviews