Mama, Do You Love Me?

by Barbara M. Joosse, Barbara Lavallee (Illustrator)

Overview

With more than a million copies sold worldwide, this universal story of a child testing the limits of her independence demonstrates that the special love between parent and child is a bond that transcends all boundaries of time and place. This tender story is now available in a 10th Anniversary Commemorative edition with a cloth cover and limited edition, frameable print.

Author Biography: Barbara M. Joosse is the author of nearly twenty books for children. She lives in a little stone house in Wisconsin.

Barbara Lavallee's vibrant watercolor illustrations are well-known for their depictions of a wide range of Alaskan life. She lives in Alaska.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780811821315
Publisher:	Chronicle Books LLC
Publication date:	07/01/1998
Series:	Mama Series
Pages:	24
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 4.90(h) x 0.67(d)
Age Range:	3 Months to 12 Years

About the Author

Barbara M. Joosse is the author of many books for children, such as the companion to this book, Papa, Do You Love Me? She lives in Cedarburg, Wisconsin.

Barbara Lavallee is known for her vibrant watercolor illustrations depicting a wide range of Alaskan life. She lives in Anchorage, Alaska.

Editorial Reviews

...this striking volume...uses a timeless culture to convey a timeless message. Publishers Weekly

Charming, vibrant watercolor illustrations...School Library Journal

From the Publisher

The main characters in this story are an Inuit mother and child, but the title question is universal. This charming picture book answers the youngster's plea in the most reassuring ways, evoking examples from Arctic life that tickle our imaginations as well as our wits.

A decade ago, PW called Barbara Joosse's Mama, Do You Love Me?, illus. by Barbara Lavallee, "a striking volume which uses a timeless culture to convey a timeless message." Chronicle celebrates the book's success with a 10th anniversary commemorative edition that includes a fabric jacket and a limited edition print of mother and child. (Sept.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

This book is set in the Arctic and is a love story between an Inuit mother and child. Mama tells her little one just how much she is loved by comparing her to the animals who love things dear to them. "I love you more than...the dog loves his tail, more than the whale loves his spout." The vibrant watercolor paintings of images of animals and patterns common in the far north are stunning. An excellent glossary of all the animals mentioned is included. A terrific gift book.

Children's Literature - Jan Lieberman

The mother in this book portrays healthy unconditional love and acceptance and the bond she has with her child is respectful, honest and reassuring. Although it has an Arctic setting, it shows an appreciation for both the differences of culture and the universality of mother's love. The colors are vivid, the range of emotions broad, the wordplay rhythmic and the message honest. When Dear One, the child, asks "What if I put salmon in your parka, ermine in your mittens, and lemmings in your mukluks?" her mother answers: "Then I would be angry...but still I would love you." This repeated question-answer format shows a typical, playful, and fully conscious dialogue of love between a child and mother.

Children's Literature - Susie Wilde