Big Momma Makes the World

by Phyllis Root

Other authorsHelen Oxenbury (Illustrator)

Paperback, 2007

Status

Available

Genres

Children's Books

Collection

Children's Circulating

Publication

Candlewick (2007), Edition: Reprint, 48 pages

Description

Big Mamma, with a baby on her hip and laundry piling up, makes the world and everything in it and, at the end of the sixth day, tells the people she has made that they must take care of her creation.

User reviews

LibraryThing member danielleburry

This is a story of how Big Momma created the world and what she did each day. I feel that this book may be controversial to have in your classroom because it basically says that Big Momma created the world and God did not. I feel this might stir up some emotions so if you're going to read this book

in your class, be prepared for the reactions.

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7 more

LibraryThing member avcr

Root’s creation story combines scientific elements such as evolution, and big bang theory with the concept of a superior entity. In her down south, African American tone, Root describes how Big Momma (perhaps Mother Earth), baby on her hip swims out of the water, creates light, dark, sky,

creatures and “folks to keep me company.” She lines the folks up and tells them “this is a real nice world we got here, and you all better take some good care of it” and goes off to rest, looking down every now and again “Big Momma looks down and says, Better straighten up down there.” The large, soft blue type is inviting and Oxenbury covers the right page fully with light infused, touchable drawings (the big bang of creatures covers both and its orange-tinged, yellow center explodes with energy nearly spitting flesh-colored creatures off the page. Beautiful

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LibraryThing member SJeanneM

I LOVED this book! It had great pictures to illustrate the story also! It is basically the Creation story told with a "Big Momma" who makes the world. It seemed to make more sense to my children that a woman would have made the world and they loved that this book lends itself to you taking an

intonation with it. The wording is just perfect to take kind of a southern twang to it. If you're looking for a book to illustrate to kids that there are many different versions of Creation, this is a great book to start with.

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LibraryThing member NSAcademy

This is a horrible book. I cannot believe anyone else didn't speak out against the whole thing being stolen from HIs story. To give credit to anyone else for this blessed world we live in is sinful. Especially when this story is aimed at young unknowing minds. I live to witness, testify and serve

in His name. This book is junk. As far as it being so accepted will possibly that is why the world is going to junk as well.................

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LibraryThing member Jenpark

This is a twist on the Christian creation story. The creator is a female and a mother. The days of the creation are the same, but there is a message about taking care of the earth at the end.

LibraryThing member dangerlibearian

Female creation story with gorgeous illustrations. Pretty awesome!!

LibraryThing member JeneenNammar

3 to 6 years old. Phyllis Root gives us a fun feminist version of how the universe came to be in Big Momma Makes the World (Candlewick Press, 2002), the 2002 Boston Globe Horn Book Picture Book Award Winner. In it the universe's creator is not just a woman and mother, but instead it is the "Big

Momma." So when she creates the world, "she didn't mess around." Root's down home, southern accented textual style helps to draw the portrait of a powerful and straight talking matriarch. This reflects the way kids feel about how 'mother' is powerful in general. She creates their world, both their personal world, and the world outside their home through stories. Helen Oxenbury's illustrations complement the text brilliantly with Big Momma being bigger than life and her smaller, contented, naked baby happily exploring her creation near her side. Oxenbury's illustrations are beautiful with just the right blend of tenderness, humor, and larger than life feel. Big Momma and her baby are clearly spiritual beings and she accomplishes this by making them the color of their surroundings-blue like water, white like light, and dark like night. Unfortunately the one illustration that detracts from this cohesiveness is the cover one. In it Big Momma and her baby are pink like the clouds at sunrise or sunset and it distinctly makes them look less like archetypal beings and more like Caucasian folk. Yet the text well suits the idea that Big Momma is African American, and all ethnicities as well. But this is one quibble with a delightful book and I highly recommend it to public library collections. It would make for an excellent read aloud to a large preschool group as well. Big Momma Makes the World is a must for public libraries.

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LibraryThing member Salsabrarian

A folksy creation story, excellent for retelling, easygoing voice of the making of the world by Big Momma, a solidly built woman who makes the world in seven days while her baby looks on. "That's good, that's real good," Big Momma says, satisfied with her accomplishment.

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