Mommy Sayang

Starred review from April 15, 2019
In this addition to the Pixar Animation Studios Artist Showcase series, “little Aleeya and her dear mommy—Mommy sayang,” share an inseparable bond in their Malaysian village community, or kampung. The two do their chores (cooking “the spiciest recipes”) and read stories under mosquito netting, and Mommy prays five times daily “while Aleeya lay close by her side.” The girl even has a favorite dream about her mother, in which the two “munch on crispy curry puffs” beneath an enormous hibiscus blossom. When Mommy becomes sick, Aleeya despairs, wrapping herself in her mother’s sarong until realizing she knows exactly how to make her feel better. Newcomer Sullivan’s illustrations blend pencil-like lines, shapely blocks of solid color, and ornate floral patterns to form airy spreads in this autobiographical tale. An adoring celebration of mother/daughter love. Ages 3–5.

April 1, 2019

K-Gr 2-The close relationship between a contemporary Malaysian girl and her mother form the heart of this picture book. Aleeya and her Mommy sayang (a term of endearment in Malay, always italicized in the text) are inseparable, whether they are doing chores, sharing meals with neighbors, or snuggling up with stories before bed. At night, Aleeya dreams of the two of them rolling through fields of hibiscus flowers together. One day, Mommy sayang doesn't feel well, and Aleeya is left on her own. Days stretch out without her mom, and Aleeya has little interest in anything, until a moment of inspiration sends her to her mother's sickbed with a gift and a promise that sets Mommy sayang on the path to recovery. Unsurprisingly, animator Sullivan's digital illustrations have the look of a Pixar movie, and will feel familiar to many young audiences. Aleeya has light brown skin and long curly hair, and her mother has darker skin and wears a headscarf in most scenes. In their bustling Malaysian village, cars stand next to bicycles and chickens outside of homes. An author's note connects the tale to Sullivan's childhood experiences with her Malaysian mother. However, while Sullivan explains that it was stories that brought her and her mother together during her mother's illness, the book's narrative is more vague and the ending abrupt. VERDICT This title is notable for an emotionally authentic mother-daughter relationship, if slightly unsatisfying as a narrative. A solid general purchase.-Chelsea Couillard-Smith, Hennepin County Library, MN

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2019
A story of mother and daughter, their day-to-day life in a small Malaysian village, and the love they have for each other. "Little Aleeya and her dear mommy--Mommy sayang," spend their days in their kampung (small village), making everyday tasks fun together. Whether it is during prayer (when her mother wears a telekung), doing chores, or spending time with family and friends, Aleeya and Mommy are always side by side. Even in Aleeya's dreams they spend time together, eating curry puffs in the shade of red hibiscus flowers. But when Mommy gets sick, the little girl must comfort herself and try to think of a way to make Mommy feel better. This autobiographical picture book, a debut from Pixar artist Sullivan, celebrates the vibrancy of life in a small Malaysian village. The all-Malaysian cast evinces differences in skin tone and facial features; Aleeya's mother and aunties wear tudung/hijab, with long tops and pants, skirts, sarongs, and abayas, while two men wear the traditional kopiah, a truncated cone cap. Aleeya has curly black hair and wears a sleeveless red romper. In one poignant scene she clutches her mother's sarong and weeps; her joy in another, at seeing her mother recovering in bed, in a T-shirt and with hair uncovered, is palpable. Since Mommy's illness is never specified, this is a gentle vehicle to introduce many kinds of parent-child separations. A simple but welcome addition to a small, but growing, number of books depicting Southeast Asian Muslims. (Picture book. 3-6)

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February 15, 2019
Grades K-2 For little Aleeya, life in her small kampung could not be happier. Surrounded by lush paddy fields, chickens, and kittens, Aleeya and her mother?Mommy sayang (dear)?find delight in daily chores and activities. In the back matter, Sullivan explains the motivation for this tender love story of mother and child: her own mother's memories of life in Malaysia. Sullivan is a story artist at Pixar, and the illustrations in this certainly reflect the qualities of animated film: crisp colors used selectively against pale backdrops, emphasized by a dynamic use of line to suggest movement. Sullivan includes visual references salient to a Muslim household that lend the story cultural specificity while sustaining a universal theme. Aleeya's happiness is abruptly interrupted when her mother falls ill. She is overcome with despair until she realizes that she must help nurse her mother back to health with her love. A similar message can be found in Anita Lobel's Taking Care of Mama Rabbit (2014), while mother-daughter bonding is on fabulous display in Quvenzhan� Wallis' A Night Out with Mama (2017).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)