The Best Mother

April 1, 2018
Maxine searches for a new mother...and discovers the best one has been with her all along.Maxine hates the morning routine of washing face, brushing teeth, and combing hair. "Maxine was sure a new mother would solve her problems." So she informs her mother of her plan to look for a new mom in the park, at the toy store, and at the zoo. But since she can't get to those places on her own, she asks her old mother to accompany her. Unperturbed, the old mother agrees, and readers with sharp eyes will see her as a constant presence keeping an eye on Maxine as she asks various women how they would respond in certain situations: cleanup time, drum-banging, wearing slippers in the snow, toy purchases. After each potential mother's response, she is summarily rejected. At the zoo, Maxine observes the animals with their babies, thought bubbles showing her own mother doing similar things with Maxine. A couple of page turns reveal that her old mother has done all the things the prospective new mothers scoffed at, and Maxine knows just which mother is perfect for her. Goode's pen-and-ink, watercolor, gouache, and pastel illustrations emphasize relationships and emotions. Maxine and her mother both have brown skin and hair: Mom's is straight, while Maxine's is unruly, curls sprouting energetically from her head and beneath her hat.A delightful look at a what-if all children have considered, if not acted upon. (Picture book. 4-9)

COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

May 1, 2018

PreS-Gr 2-Frustrated with following her daily rules and routines, Maxine decides to look for a new mother in the park, at the toy store, and at the zoo-but in the end, she discovers her "old" mother is the best. Surrisi's concise writing explores this universal theme in a fresh way, but leaves the main message unarticulated (except for the title), skewing this book for a slightly older picture book reader in spite of the short word count. Goode's recognizable pen-and-ink drawings with watercolor, gouache, and pastel suit the humorous and heartfelt story. The illustrations are done in a cartoon style very similar to those in Kate Feiffer's My Mom Is Trying To Ruin My Life, also illustrated by Goode. VERDICT This is a sweet (but not too sweet) general purchase especially suited for a Mother's Day storytime, but is likely to be enjoyed by both children and moms all year round.-Hillary Perelyubskiy, Los Angeles Public Library

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.