Nal’ibali suggests these titles to enjoy with mum on Mother’s Day.
Picture books
- The trouble with Mom by Babette Cole
The trouble with Mom is that she just isn’t like other moms. Her hats are decorated with snakes and mice, and she flies her son to school on a broomstick. No wonder she doesn’t get along with the other parents. Will Mom’s special talents ever come in handy?
- Mama, Papa and Baby Joe by Niki Daly
Written in fun verse this picture book by celebrated South African children’s author and illustrator follows Mama, Papa and Baby Joe as they go shopping – and Baby Joe has one new adventure after another.
- Are you my mother? by P.D. Eastman
A story about a bird who hatches from an egg while his mother is off searching for food. He does not understand where his mother is so he sets off on an adventure to look for her. This book is ideal for reading to toddlers and for children learning to read to try to read on their own.
- A present for Mom by Vivian French & Dana Kubick
Mother’s Day is tomorrow, and all of Stanley’s siblings have something special to give to Mom. Everyone except Stanley, that is. Being the baby of the family, Stanley is having a very hard time finding just the right gift. But after a night of fretful dreams – when it’s almost too late – Stanley comes up with an idea for a present that will last forever.
- Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What do you see? by Bill Martin Jr & Eric Carle
Baby Bear meets all sorts of animals until he finally finds the special one he is looking for – his mother! A beautifully illustrated simple story for very young children.
- It’s lovely when you smile by Sam McBratney
Can anyone make grumpy Little Roo smile? In the end it is his mother who saves the day in an unexpected way.
- Five minutes peace by Jill Murphy
All Mrs. Large wants is five minutes’ peace from her energetic children, but chaos follows her all the way from the kitchen to the bath and back again. Mrs. Large tries to take a peaceful, relaxing bath but her family has other ideas.
- Me and my mom! by Alison Ritchie & Alison Edgson
This story celebrates the loving relationship between a mother and child. Little Bear’s mom is so smart she can do just about anything! She can roar, and she can swim like a fish, and she’s never afraid of the dark. But the thing that she does best of all is hold her bear cub tight.
- Mommy? by Maurice Sendak , Arthur Yorinks & Matthew Reinhart
A pop-up, picture book for slightly older children Mommy? is an almost wordless book that tells the story of a toddler searching for his mommy among monsters and mummies in a haunted mansion. Despite the scary surroundings and characters, the little boy isn’t a bit scared. When he finally finds his mother, it becomes clear why he feels so comfortable with these familiar monsters.
- Owl Babies by Martin Waddell & Patrick Benson
Three baby owls awake on night to find their mother missing. “Where’s mommy?” they wonder. A charming, reassuring book for any child who has ever worried about Mommy leaving him or her alone.
Fiction for older readers
- Dizzy by Cathy Cassidy
Dizzy has always lived with her dad, never seeing her traveller mother – until her twelfth birthday…
- Dustbin baby by Jacqueline Wilson
April started out life abandoned in a dustbin. Now she’s fourteen and she’s determined to find out where she came from and who she is so she sets out to find her birth mother.