FICTION

Mama's Day with Little Gray

by Aimee REID
illus. by Laura J. Bryant. 32p. Random. Mar. 2014. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780449810835.
COPY ISBN
PreS-K—As a baby elephant spends a day with her mother, she considers "what if" she were big and her mother were small. Little Gray determines that she would do everything that her mother is doing with her, like strolling through fields of grass, eating sweet leaves off of a high tree, swimming, and sleeping cuddled up together. Most of all, Little Gray promises that she would keep her mother safe, just as she feels on this perfect day. The story reads like a combination of Robert Munsch's Love You Forever (Firefly, 1995) and Barbara M. Joosse's Mama, Do You Love Me?? (Chronicle, 1998), in which the child pretends and the parent patiently plays along. Soft, watercolor illustrations highlight the expressive faces of the two animals and enhance the theme of unconditional love between parent and child.—Jennifer Miskec, Longwood University, Farmville, VA
Elephant Little Gray and his mama spend a day together imagining what it would be like if their roles were reversed: Little Gray would take care of Mama, and she would feel very safe. There's a lulling cadence to the conversation, which will sound familiar both to young children and to their parents. Calming, affectionate illustrations create strong personalities for the elephants.
Reviewed by Jennifer Miskec , Mar 01, 2014

Be the first reader to comment.

Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

BOOKS

Maddie and Mabel Ready for Snow
by Allen, Kari
BOOKS

Welcome to the Woofmore
by Gephart, Donna & Lori Haskins Houran
BOOKS

Eleven Houses
by Oakes, Colleen
BOOKS

Don’t Let the Forest In
by Drews, CG
BOOKS

Summer Nights and Meteorites
by Reynolds, Hannah
BOOKS

A Vile Season
by Ferraro, David
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?