Mama Needs a Minute

February 15, 2020
The story shows all of the ways a mother loves and cares for her children while also needing to take care of herself. Sloan writes what mothers feel: "This mama needs a minute." There are books that prepare children for their first day of school, potty training, siblings, and many of life's earliest milestones. In that tradition, Sloan's book shows kids how mothers can both love and care for them and also need a little space. She writes, "It doesn't mean I love you less. Sometimes it just means Mama needs to get dressed." Truer words have never been written. Sloan simultaneously affirms a mother's love while also deftly explaining that it's OK for love to need boundaries--for parents, yes, but also for kids. The comics-style illustrations hit home, like the stubble-legged mama trying to snag a minute to shower. This goes beyond ringing chords with adult readers; it also provides concrete examples of when mama needs that minute. The palette includes pinks, greens, and bright blues, and all of the characters have skin of many nonhuman colors; hair is likewise fancifully colored but always straight. Many of the moms have visible tattoos, a refreshingly realistic detail. A must-read for mothers of young children (and their kids, too). (Board book. 2-4)

COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

March 30, 2020
Sloan, founder of online space the Weird Mom Club, relays an ode to self-care and parenting’s hectic nature in this board book. Addressing an unnamed child in uneven meter, the narrator describes her devotion (“I’ll make you those funny pancakes you like”) while communicating an appeal that’s likely familiar to most caretakers: “This mama needs a minute.” Simple illustrations in a limited, modern palette portray blue-, green-, and lavender-skinned mothers and children playing together—and taking moments apart. Extolling the virtues of “me time” amid parenthood’s plentiful requirements, Sloan succeeds in gently encouraging healthy boundaries between children and their respective adults. After all, kids “need it too./ Some time to explore the world—just you.” Ages 2–4.