My Must-Have Mom

by Maudie Smith, Jen Khatun (Illustrator)

Overview

When Jake’s mom upcycles every last thing in the apartment, Jake begins to worry that the only thing left to change is . . . him!

Jake’s mom is not like most moms. Say there's a dumpster in the street, most moms will pass right by without a second glance. Not Jake’s mom. “Look at this, Jake!” she'll shout. “We must have this! We must have this, too! And we simply must have this!” That’s Jake’s mom for you. She’s a must-have mom.

Soon Jake begins to worry that his mom will want to change him too. Should he be this way? Or that way? Or another way altogether?
A heartwarming story about the unbreakable bond between a mother and her son, and a little boy who learns that he is perfect just the way he is.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781913747718
Publisher:	Lantana Publishing
Publication date:	03/01/2022
Series:	Lantana Global Picture Books Series
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.50(w) x 10.50(h) x 0.35(d)
Lexile:	AD530L (what's this?)
Age Range:	7 - 8 Years

About the Author

Maudie Smith is a British author who writes humorous and touching stories for children, including much-loved picture book My Must-Have Mom. She has an MA in Writing for Young People and lives in Bath, UK.

Jen Khatun is a British children's book illustrator of Bangladeshi/Indian heritage. Her work resonates with the hidden magic in everyday life and the close bonds between people, nature, and memories. She is the illustrator of My Must-Have Mom.

Editorial Reviews

05/02/2022

With whimsical storytelling, Smith and Khatun offer an unexpected take on an indestructible parent-child relationship. Jake’s mother adores dumpster diving, and turning her discoveries into unique objects—“where most people see Trash and Junk, she sees Opportunity and Treasure.” Amid bright-colored scenes of the brown-skinned pair wheeling home an assortment of “must-have” curbside finds via Mom’s wheelchair, Jake offers exaggerated narration of his mom’s trash triumphs. “A damp bedraggled rat” gets turned into “quite a decent dog,” and a “rusty old truck” is transformed into a flower-filled planter. Trouble ensues after a curmudgeonly neighbor’s thoughtless comment causes Jake to worry that his mom’s tinkering will extend to changing him. Luckily, though, Mom also knows how to fix misunderstandings. Loosely drawn pencil sketches by Khatun are colored digitally with a rainbow range of flat hues and exhibit a style that well suits the cluttered, casual aesthetic propelling this intergenerational story. Ages 5–8. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

"With whimsical storytelling, Smith and Khatun offer an unexpected take on an indestructible parent-child relationship. . . . a rainbow range of flat hues exhibit a style that well suits the cluttered, casual aesthetic."—Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

07/08/2022

K-Gr 2—Told in the first-person, this is a story about a young boy, Jake, concerned that his mother's tendencies might relate to him in a worrisome way. She's a trash-to-treasure fanatic, who can improve upon every torn, rusted, or broken object they collect. Could this mean that she wants to change him, too? Is he deficient in the same way as the discarded things? Unfortunately, Smith doesn't sufficiently expand the narrative to connect the dots between the mom's hobby and the boy's anxiety. The lively illustrations depict diverse characters, with the boy and his mom both presenting as dark-skinned, and while it is not consequential to the story itself, the mother uses a wheelchair. The parental reassurance at the end is a sweet touch, though the child's misunderstanding is not clear enough to make the ending satisfying. VERDICT This book succeeds more on the theme of recycling than the intended social-emotional learning.—Gloria Koster

School Library Journal

2022-01-12
A young boy fears he’ll be his mom’s next fix-it-up project.

“There's Nothing my mom can’t do Something with,” protagonist Jake shares. From “tires and teapots” to “traffic cones and soup cans,” his mother sees treasure in trash, scouts dumpsters for hidden gems, and piles her wheelchair with odds and ends that they “simply must have.” (In a delightfully silly scene, she even tows home an abandoned trawler hitched to her wheelchair; it is refreshing to see a disabled character enacting slapstick humor.) In their cozily cluttered apartment, Mom “tinkers and tailors,” transforming her eclectic finds into new creations. A rusty truck becomes a flourishing daisy garden; a “damp bedraggled rat” is transformed into “quite a decent dog” in a humorously absurd montage. But when their curmudgeonly neighbor Mr. Price grumbles that Jake’s “must-have mom” “won’t be satisfied until she’s changed every last thing in the world,” Jake worries: Does she want to change him, too? In a poignant speech, Mom assures him that she wouldn't change a thing about him—he's her “one and only must-have son!”—and even Mr. Price can’t suppress a smile. Khatun’s scratchy, expressive cartoon-style illustrations energetically and colorfully complement Smith’s rhythmic, upbeat text. Mom’s enthusiasm is infectious, and the tender bond between mother and son radiates from their faces, accentuated by warm family portraits gracing the walls of their home. Jake and his mom have medium-brown skin and straight black hair; Mr. Price presents White. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A sweet, environmentally-conscious tale of unconditional love. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews