Me & Mama

Author/illustrator Cozbi A. Cabrera paints a lovely portrait of an African American family with a “mama’s girl” who says “I want to be everywhere Mama is.” The little girl takes us on a tour of her house and yard, pointing out everything that is her mama’s and what is hers, adding

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mama’s guidance along the way. (“This is Mama’s toothbrush. This is mine. I get less toothpaste. Round my teeth with little circles, Mama says. Round my teeth with little circles, I say.”)

They get dressed for the day and go for a walk in the rain:

“We sing out loud to sky. Sky is taller, taller than the trees. Mama says a song is highs and lows.”

They don’t always agree, like on what barrette the little girl should wear, but Mama understands and lets her choose.

Mama and the little girl read to each other, and laugh together. At night, Mama puts the little girl and her little brother to bed:

“Our day is done earlier than Mama’s and Papa’s. It’s just that way when you’re growing.”

The little girl falls asleep, and dreams about special times with her and Mama.

The images painted in bright acrylics are beautiful, with Mama in particular shown as a gorgeous, proud, and happy black woman.

Evaluation: Young readers (recommended for ages 4-8) surely will be able to relate to that time when your mama was everything, and you loved spending time with her. (Alas, all the mothers reading along will know what happens when adolescence comes, but will also enjoy these moments while they last!)

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A young girl narrates this story about the rainy day she spends with her mother, opening in the early morning, when only the two of them are up. Enjoying tea together, brushing their teeth and hair together, and heading out into the wet world with Max, the family dog, they have a lovely walk. At

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bedtime, Mama tucks the girl in, and she slips off into dreams - dreams in which she is once again with Mama...

One of four Caldecott Honor Books chosen this year (2021) - the others are The Cat Man of Aleppo, Outside In and A Place Inside of Me: A Poem to Heal the Heart - Cozbi A. Cabrera's Me & Mama is a book I have been looking forward to reading, given how much I enjoyed the author/artist's My Hair Is a Garden. Although I did enjoy it, appreciating the loving mother-daughter bond being described, and the gorgeous acrylic artwork, somehow I wasn't quite as moved as I'd expected to be. There are odd jumps in the narrative - on one page, the girl and her mother are walking in the rain in the early morning, on the next (with no explanation) the girl is being tucked into bed at night - that threw me out of the story, and punctured the gentle, poetic atmosphere. This one has undeniably good qualities - lovely story, gorgeous artwork - but I think it needed an editor to step in and fix a few small problems. Despite that criticism, I can see why it was given a Caldecott Honor, as the visuals really are breathtaking. Recommended to picture-book readers looking for stories about mothers and daughters and/or featuring African-American families.

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