My mum is the best by Nic McPickle and Tommy Doyle

Nic McPickle and Tommy Doyle once again team up to help young readers see their Mums as helpmates and protectors, supporters and encouragers.

Mums are everywhere, and although many look quite different and sometimes make their offspring roll their eyes in exasperation, the Mums are there to support their kids when they say, 'Have you got a jumper? ‘Do you need a snack?’  Or 'If you got it out, then you can put it back.’, and the pages turn as Mums ask them to write a thank you letter, to clean up their rooms, and get the groceries from the car.  While some people see this as nagging others see it as love. Because mums also say: ‘You are caring and smart’, ‘You are funny and tough’. ‘You love me so well that I know I'm enough.’ Children love their Mums putting their work on the fridge for all to see, or going out to all their sports’ matches, teaching them to cook or looking after a pet.

Promoting the role of Mums in children’s lives, this book is welcome for Mother's Day, and could be the focus of a display of all the books about Mums in the library, or the basis of a discussion around the book, where Mums are discussed and thanked for all the work they do behind the scenes. Work that often goes unnoticed and needs to be recognised, acknowledged and thanked.

Wonderful illustrations use a variety of animals as the basis of a mum and child. Kids will love seeing the different animals and their offspring. And I particularly liked the meerkats dining about, patient mum sitting on the toilet while her child comes in, and the wonderful giraffes, Mum and child, sitting in the bath. And I loved the endpapers, set up like a fridge or notice board with its notices taped on.

Themes: Mothers, Mother’s Day, Family, Love.

Fran Knight