Are You My Mother?
by P.D. Eastman

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Book Summary Information

• 1960 - Beginner Books - Hardcover
• Are You My Mother?
• By P. D. Eastman
• Classic - Illustrations
• Collectible - Elementary Reader

Book Reviews of Are You My Mother?

Book Review: Read to Your Child to Improve Bonding and Intellect!
Summary: 5 Stars

To help other parents apply this advice, as a parent of four I consulted an expert, our youngest child, and asked her to share with me her favorite books that were read to her as a young child. Are You My Mother? was one of her picks.

This is a wonderful beginning reader because the story is humorous, the drawings lighten the mood further, and the words are simple and well related to the illustrations. For example, on one page a baby bird is pictured on the edge of the nest alone looking straight up expectantly. The text reads, "He looked up. He did not see her." The next page is the same baby bird still perched on the edge of the nest looking down. the text reads, "He looked down. He did not see her."

The use of repetition is also excellent. The cover question, for example, repeats throughout the book. So your child can learn to read the book with a minimum number of words to learn, and most of the words are illustrated to provide visual clues.

Most children learn to read a book like this by first memorizing it, then reading along with the parent as the parent says the words, then reciting the words, then picking out some words and reading more slowly. Are You My Mother? is well designed for this process.

The story involves a baby bird whose mother has gone off to get food so he is born alone. He looks around for her, tries to find her and falls out of the nest. Then he asks everyone and everything he meets if they are his mother. The question is very silly to a child. Your child knows that an airplane and a steam shovel cannot be a bird's mother, and your child will want to shout "no" and laugh in answer to the question. Everything ends up just fine with the baby bird reunited by the steam shovel just as the mother bird returns to the nest. The baby bird had walked near the mother earlier and had not seen her.

You may be concerned that the story can create insecurity in a child. And that is possible if you do not use the story as an opportunity to discuss when you would be away from your child. Obviously, your child knows who her or his mother is. You can talk about staying with other family members or baby sitters, and how you can be reached by telephone in those circumstances. Most children do worry about such subjects related to separation but often do not raise their concerns with parents. This book provides a natural way to address the subject in an unthreatening way.

After you have read this book, also think about what other insecurities your child may have and how you might discuss those to reduce potential anxiety.

Enjoy!

Summary of Are You My Mother?

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