Mum and me by Annie White

cover image

Lothian, 2010. ISBN 9780733625213.
(3+) Recommended. A verse story celebrating the love that a little girl has for her mother, Mum and me is a delight to read aloud. Told from the little girl's perspective, the reader is taken through a series of daily events, starting with breakfast, when 'My mum knows just what I like. She makes me toast with vegemite'. As the day continues, the little girl is allowed to dress in her favourite clothes and to paint her toe nails pink. The rest of the day is filled with fun and games: trumpet practice, hide and seek and splashing in puddles.
The illustrations perfectly complement the text. The figures are big and bold and stand out against a pastel or white background. Mum and her daughter wear bright coloured clothes and both have gorgeous spiral hairstyles. I loved the little toy bear and doll that popped up in most of the pictures, often with comical expressions on their faces or actions to match what is happening in the story.
This is a book that will be perfect as a gift for Mother's Day or to use in a theme about families. Beginning readers will also love the rhymes and will be able to work out many of the words from the pictures.
Pat Pledger

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