Just Like a Mama

November 15, 2019
Because Carol Oliva Clementine cannot live with Mommy and Daddy, the child lives with Mama Rose. Carol Oliva Clementine, a light-brown-skinned child with a sandy-red afro puff, describes life with Mama Rose, a dark-skinned black woman. Readers don't learn why Carol Oliva Clementine came to live with Mama Rose. While readers also aren't told how long they've lived together, Carol Oliva Clementine describes two birthdays with Mama Rose: the fifth, when the child received a watch and learned to tell time, and the sixth, when Mama Rose gave her little one a yellow bicycle. Carol Olivia Clementine is presented as a happy and carefree little child who misses Mommy and Daddy but is also happy to live with Mama Rose, who lovingly calls the child Lady Bug. The illustrations are bright and playful, conveying the deep warmth of affection between the two. One spread in which Mama Rose does her charge's hair and then swaddles Carol Olivia Clementine for winter play bears out the truth of the title. It is curious, however, that Carol Olivia Clementine and Mama Rose wear the same clothing throughout the book even though multiple seasons pass. In an author's note, Duncan tells of her own experience with a kinship adoption. A beautiful story of love and kinship, so needed for the many children living apart from their nuclear families. (Picture book. 3-6)

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April 20, 2020
In this much-needed picture book about nontraditional families, Carol Olivia Clementine, a light-skinned black child, lives with Mama Rose, a darker-skinned black woman, “miles away” from Carol Olivia’s parents. Though Carol Olivia misses her parents (why the family resides apart is never revealed), she is glad to live with Mama Rose, who takes care of her in all the ways a mama does: teaching life skills (making the bed, telling time), ensuring that she’s well nourished (“there will be NO chocolate cake until I eat my veggies”), and otherwise providing for the girl’s health and happiness (“Just like a mama, she combs my hair”). Brightly colored, expressive mixed-media illustrations capture the duo’s vivacity and the strength of their love as the woman chases the child on a yellow bicycle. Ultimately, Carol Olivia concludes, Mama Rose is “just like a mama to me”; in fact, “Mama Rose is my home.” A poignant author’s note reveals Duncan’s personal connection to the narrative and praises “fictive kin, adoptive parents, and guardians who have chosen to love and care for a child when they have no obligation to do so.” Ages 4–8.

December 15, 2019
Preschool-G Duncan's warm, loving picture book tells the story of a little girl by the name of Carol Olivia, who misses her mother more than anything in this world. Yet, she is far from alone. Mama Rose, her foster mother, cares for Carol Olivia by showing her kindness and love?just like a mama should. Carol Olivia doesn't have to worry about getting to school or getting her hair done; Mama Rose is there to show her how to complete tasks and to give her the encouragement she needs. With the overwhelming number of children living in foster care, this book will be a welcome contribution to any classroom or library collection. Bright, uplifting illustrations underscore the story's heartening message and the loving relationship between Carol Olivia and Mama Rose. This can be read during Mother's Day for children who are not currently living with their mothers to recognize the mother figures who are raising them. A comforting tribute to the enduring love that parents have for children, whether they are biologically related or not.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)