Because I’m Your Mom

PreS-Gr 3–From the team that wrote Because I’m Your Dad, equal treatment is granted to Mom. The mothers in this book let their children pick out their own mismatched clothes, eat nachos for breakfast, and play with cosmic-powered smushy-faced puppycorns. They dig for treasure in the backyard with their children and skateboard with them on the beach while skipping piano lessons. “Because I’m your mom, we’ll make wishes on shooting stars and always remember to say what we are grateful for at bedtime.” Zappa’s sentimental text is illuminated by the goofiness of Santat’s bold, arresting monsters, which adds lots of fun without the mushiness. Each page shares a message of love juxtaposed with the playfulness of a two-pronged monster mom and her equally monstrous, but charming, youngster. Readers won’t be frightened by these two as they colorfully parade among humans in their super stylish sunglasses or take selfies in front of the pyramids in Egypt. Be sure to look for Santat’s nod to fellow artists and his witty details that bring an added layer to savvy readers.