Mommy Time

Mommy Time

This intimate picture book debut captures the joys—and occasional struggles—of being a stay-at-home parent. Rollicking rhyme and playful illustrations record a day in the life of two rambunctious children and their stay-at-home mother. As fun as it is being a kid, it can be hard work being a mom . When Dad heads to his job, the joyful chaos of getting ready for the day begins. To the children, that day is a happy blur of school and playdates, singing and dancing, supermarket walks and library stops, bath time, story time, bedtime. But Mommy’s time is filled with a whole lot more— sweeping, laundry, stinky diapers—tiring work achieved with love in her eyes and care in her smiles. An authentic catalog of precious moments in the life of an ordinary family, this warm, revealing story builds a bridge of empathy between parent and child and celebrates the value of “Mommy time.” PreS-Gr 1-An adorable story that is simple and full of love. A little boy enjoys his mommy time and all the other activities he does with his mother and family, from "morning time" to "sing-along time" to "go home time." The vocabulary is simple, clear against the page, and uses the word time as both a pattern and minimal rhyme scheme. Glenn's beautiful illustrations help readers figure out who is speaking and what action takes place when. Delightful expressions light everyone's faces throughout. The illustrations and text work wonderfully together to make readers feel as if they are this child, in love with the mom (who loves them back) and enjoying all the cool things they do together. This is a timely and relatable tale about love, daily life, and family. VERDICT An adorable story that encourages students to share what they do during the day and how much they love their family-especially their mom.-Margaret Kennellyα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. An adorable story that is simple and full of love . . . . The illustrations and text work wonderfully together. . . This is a timely and relatable tale about love, daily life, and family. . . . An adorable story that encourages students to share what they do during the day and how much they love their family—­especially their mom. —School Library Journal (starred review) Soft, energetic digital illustrations portray a day in the life of a loving mother as she spends time with her young children. The mother’s love and care for her children is clear, and the little ones’ appreciation shines through the joyfully rhythmic narration. . . . A beautiful display of how mothers show up for their children in myriad ways. —Kirkus Reviews “We just love our Mommy time,” two siblings exclaim in this rhythmically rendered account of the daylong caregiving they receive from their seemingly tireless mother. . . . Employing pastel hues and shapely forms, Glenn’s digital art depicts the Black-presenting family’s day as full of “tender, precious/ moments time” that Mommy is pictured as relishing with an (almost) unwavering smile. —Publishers Weekly The rhythmic text and expressive illustrations offer a kid’s-eye view of the care and structure mothers bring to their children’s lives. Plan a read-aloud for Mother’s Day on May 14 – and whenever you want to applaud a mother’s love and hard work. —Washington Parent Monique James-Duncan is the author of Mommy Time , her publishing debut. Born in Britain and raised on the tiny island of the Commonwealth of Dominica, she is passionate about writing literature with mirrors so all children can feel seen. About the book, she says, " Mommy Time is an ode to mothers—particularly the largely unseen African American stay-at-home mother. Thus, through the eyes of her adorable toddler, we see that her ‘unpaid’ work is, to him, precious, appreciated, and undoubtedly one of the most challenging jobs in the world.” A busy stay-at-home mother herself, she lives in Brooklyn, New York. Ebony Glenn is the illustrator of numerous books for young readers, including Red Shoes by Karen English, Speak Up by Miranda Paul, and Brave Ballerina: The Story of Janet Collins by Michelle Meadows. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia.