Jonathan and His Mommy

by Irene Smalls

Overview

A young boy and his Mom take a zany walk around their city neighborhood. They exercise their hearts and bodies in a dance of family love.

"The bond between mother and child make this a great book for one-on-one string; the generous visual scope and delightful cadence also make it a wonderful group read-aloud.

School Library Journal

The combination of text and illustration is a true celebration of the love and security of family and neighborhood."The Horn Book

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780978503161
Publisher:	McNeil Publishing
Publication date:	04/15/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	34
File size:	86 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Irene Smalls, MBA, is the award-winning author of 15 books for children. Smalls' urban stories show cities are places of family love and community. Jonathan and His Mommy is a love song Smalls wrote for her son Jonathan.

Editorial Reviews

Far be it from this African American youngster and his mother to saunter down the street just any old way. They first ``zig-zag walk''and then take ``big giant steps and talk in loud giant voices''; sometimes they glide along in ``slow-motion steps,'' discussing ``molasses and birthdays and how long they take.'' This playful ritual shows a tender, affectionate mother-son relationship, made all the more fun by the parent's willingness to join in this original perambulation. Hays's ( Abiyoyo ) soft pastels capture the sights and feeling of urban life as the two pass stores, a park's fountain and graffiti-covered walls, pausing to dance by a building stoop. Smalls-Hector's ( Irene and the Big, Fine Nickel ) lively, melodious language gives a joyful sense of this shared experience; particularly inventive is the manner in which the protagonists' conversational gambits match their gait of the moment. Mothers and offspring alike will delight in the final picture, as down the street these characters meander, appropriately taking ``Jonathan-and-Mommy steps'' toward home. Ages 4-8. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

PreS-K-- A young black child and his mother take a walk around their urban neighborhood, turning the trip into a game as they go. Zigzagging, giant-stepping, hip-hopping, racing, and then in slow motion, they wander through the streets and parks. Ballet, crazy crisscross, and reggae finally give way to backward steps to the places they've been until, tired and happy, they take ``Jonathan-and-Mommy steps'' all the way home. The blank-verse text with repetition and rich imagery beautifully creates the sound and rhythm of the commonplace experience. Soft-toned double-page spreads portray an urban panorama that is at once realistic, nonthreatening, and filled with the movement of the imaginative play. The gray cityscape is softened with muted blues, brick reds, and variegated greens, all reflected in the woman's patterned dress and the chalk rainbow drawn by children in the street. The bond between mother and child is evident on every page, making this a great book for one-on-one sharing; the generous visual scope and delightful cadence also make it a wonderful group read-aloud.-- Marie Orlando, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY

School Library Journal

Stepping out takes on a whole new meaning in this simple, elegant picture book. Jonathan and his mother explore their urban neighborhood on a stroll. But it is no ordinary walk--their steps are punctuated with zigzags, giant and baby steps, bunny hops, fast and slow steps, and ballet, crisscross, reggae, and backward steps--and all the time the two talk about what they see and what they think. Children drawing with chalk on the sidewalks and playing ball, adults sitting on porches and in parks, and workers fixing the streets are all part of this city scene. Finally, worn out, Jonathan and his mother amble home with normal steps. The color paintings, highlighted in rich blues and greens, have a textured look, making you feel a part of a neighborhood bursting with the sights and sounds of friends and everyday life. The obviously strong and happy relationship between mother and child, sharing an activity every child and parent can duplicate, expresses "joie de vivre".

Deborah Abbott