Preschool Books: Mothers and Mother's Day Theme

Children's picture books about Mothers and Mother's day are so plentiful, it was difficult to narrow down my choices. My selections are included below, but you may also want to look at Are You My Mother by P.D. Eastman and Just Me and My Mom by Mercer Mayer. Countless other titles in the "I love to snuggle up to my mommy" category were left out, but there are many titles that in this category that you can choose from.

• A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams. This book is the first in a series the author calls "The Chair Books," and is about Rosa, her mother, and grandmother saving up for a beautiful new upholstered chair following a devastating fire that destroyed almost everything their family owned. This book offers up a family full of love and hope for a better future, even though they are struggling with complicated problems, and is highly deserving of its Caldecott Honor Book designation. This is realistic fiction for kindergarten or possibly first grade and up.
• Where is My Mommy? by Julie Downing became an instant household favorite the day we brought it home from the library for the first time. My children can't get enough of this book. My son, who is a pre-reader who enjoys reading along with me, especially likes the predictable nature of this easy-to-memorize animal book. Where is My Mommy ends with the image of a young toddler playing Peek-a-boo with His Mommy.
• Llama Llama Mad at Mama by Anna Dewdney is one of a series of rhyming books featuring the lovable Llama and his mother. In this story, Llama finds a trip to a big box store oppressive and boring, and finally he has enough and throws a HUGE temper tantrum. His mother calms him down but explains his behavior isn't appropriate. This is a great story for parents who have children who have ever thrown a temper tantrum in public, and acknowledges a very difficult but real side of the parent-child relationship. Click the title to read my full review of this story.
• Love You Forever by Robert N. Munsch. This popular book begins with a young mother holding a swaddled newborn baby in her arms, singing the song "I'll love you forever, I'll love you for always, as long as I'm living, my baby you'll be." This text is repeated page by page as the mother's child grows up, reaching important milestones. This book offers The Blessing, a positive affirmation of a mother's intense bond to her child, and has enjoyed immense popularity since it was published. I think it borders on being too sappy, but that just makes me a curmudgeon, and so I'm offering it to you here. The cover art image for this book really doesn't do the art in the rest of the book justice. It is much nicer than the image the publisher selected to represent the story.
• Beth Shoshan and Jaqueline East have collaborated on two books that are great shares for Mother's day. The first is That's When I'm Happy. This a beautifully-illustrated book features a bear family that would be equally appropriate for Mother's Day or Father's Day. Baby bear explains that there are times when he is happy, and times when he is sad, but the book focuses on the special things baby bear does with his mommy and daddy, such as counting the stars, reading a special picture book, and snuggling under the covers between mommy and daddy. The pictures in this book are wonderful and the book oozes with warmth and caring. Another title by these two is simply titled My Mom.
• Does a Kangaroo Have A Mother Too? This classic Eric Carle title simply asks the question, do animals have mothers? The book, geared to a toddler and early-preschool crowd, answers this question with a reassuring yes

• I may have worn The Patchwork Quilt by Valerie Fournay a little threadbare by including it in two other topic categories, but this treasure of a book that won the Coretta Scott King Book Award is appropriate in the Mother's Day category, as easily in books about quilts or grandparents. This is a book chiefly about family relationships. Read my full review by clicking on the title and decide for yourself if it would be a good Mother's Day pick.

• Just One More Swim by Caroline Pitcher and Jenny Jones features a mother polar bear and her two playful cubs who learn to swim following their mother's encouragement. The playful cubs steal the show in this delightful book filled with icy play that also reminds us children learn by following their parents' examples.

• What Moms Can't Do by Douglas Wood and Doug Cushman is a popular selection for Mother's Day and a good read-aloud choice that offers a humorous look at all of the things a mother can't do (nod, nod, wink, wink), without the help of her sometimes--ok, usually--imperfect child.

• My Mother Is The Most Beautiful Woman in the World is a Russian folktale retold by Becky Reyher and Ruth Gannett. First published in 1945, this book was reissued in 1995 by William Morrow & Co Library. A young child is lost and can't find her mother. When people ask her to describe her mother, she can only respond "She is the most beautiful person in the world!" The book is a Caldecott Honor award winner.

Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons by Siegfried Engelmann ♦ Start a Home School Preschool Co-Op ♦ Using Music Education Techniques in Your Toddler/Preschool Storytime ♦ Start a Preschool Storytime Program/ Story Hour at Your Library ♦ Preschool Story Hour Ideas: Using Storytime Themes In a Sample Lesson ♦ Great Read-Aloud Children's Books with Reviews and Sample Lesson Plans ♦ Goldilocks And the Three Bears Preschool Creative Drama Activity ♦ Music Education Techniques to Use in Your Toddler/Preschool Story Hour ♦