My New Mom & Me

by Renata Galindo, Renata Galindo (Illustrator)

Overview

A heartwarming "tail" about adoption, diversity, and acceptance that's perfect for young readers!

Told from the point of view of a puppy who is adopted by a cat, this gentle and reassuring tale is perfect for very young readers and listeners.  

When the puppy comes to live with his new mom, he is nervous. After all, his mom has stripes and he doesn’t. But his mom says she likes that they look different, and soon the puppy likes it, too. (And who cares what anyone else thinks!) 

The puppy’s new mom does all the things other parents do. She plays with him, takes care of him, and sometimes even makes him mad! But that’s okay, because when he’s feeling sad, she knows just what to say.

"A gentle, comforting story about nontraditional families." —Booklist

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780553521351
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	03/22/2016
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Renata Galindo received her MA in Children’s Book Illustration from the Cambridge School of Art. My New Mom & Me is her picture book debut in the United States. She lives and works in Mexico City. Learn more at renatagalindo.com.

Editorial Reviews

Not all picture books need jokes to win over a child. Anthropomorphized animals work just as well, as does sincerity. Those are the gifts of the Mexican author-illustrator Renata Galindo's American debut, My New Mom and Me, a tenderhearted and honest depiction of adoption from a child's perspective…Although this is a simple story, with appropriately pared-down illustrations, it nevertheless takes on big issues like trauma, loss and the struggles of transitions and adaptation in a way that feels broad and welcoming.

The New York Times Book Review - Edan Lepcuki

★ 03/14/2016
Mexican author-illustrator Galindo (The Cherry Thief) offers an understated but emotionally intense account of a mother and her adopted child “learning how to be a family.” Galindo’s digital illustrations have a crayonlike softness, and she pictures the child (who narrates, and whose gender is unspecified) as a golden dog. Its mother is an orange cat with brown stripes, highlighting how adoptive family members don’t necessarily look alike, especially in cases of transracial adoption. Pared-down backgrounds (a couple trees and a gently curving hill define a park, during an outing away from home) keep the focus on the dog’s emotions. The closing idea that “Mom is learning how to be my mom, and I am learning how to be Mom’s kid” is a powerful one for both adoptive parents and their children. Ages 3–7. Agent: Kendra Marcus, Bookstop Literary. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

01/01/2016
PreS-Gr 1—This cross-species adoption story with a feline mother and a canine child uses gentle touches to show glimpses into the process of becoming a family, told through the child's point of view. The young pup is nervous at first and uses paint for body art to mirror the mother's stripes. A tender scene where the stripes are washed off is paired with the lesson: "But Mom said I didn't need fixing. She likes that we are different." This reassurance holds firm despite the pointed looks from a parent-and-child pair of blue-spotted gray cats they pass by in the park. There's a softness to the digital illustrations that is helped by the muted and calm color palette of slate, beige, and earthy orange and yellow. Simple lines and figures consistently convey the mother's caring expressions, whether they are playing or reading together and even as she administers discipline (followed by comfort). Acknowledged is the fact that both parent and child are learning every day, making a commitment to strengthen their bond. VERDICT Lovely and lovingly done.—Joanna K. Fabicon, Los Angeles Public Library

School Library Journal

2016-01-09
Galindo's American picture-book debut makes strides toward filling gaps in adoption narratives. First-person narration follows an anthropomorphic puppy settling in with a "new mom." Mom is a striped cat—on the surface, an odd choice given the antagonism typically associated with these animals. The text doesn't acknowledge this, but it reveals related concerns: "I was worried I didn't look like Mom." The puppy paints stripes on its body, but Mom lovingly provides assurance: "She likes that we are different." Cleansed of paint, child and mother take a walk and ignore a glowering spotted cat-and-kitten pair who presumably disapprove of their interspecies family. Otherwise, they stay home navigating the everyday ups and downs of getting acquainted. There's only scant attention given to the puppy's pre-adoptive life: it arrives with two packed bags and also says, "I'd never had my own room before." This leaves questions open about the puppy's life and neglects the third part of the adoption triad: the birth family. And yet, this is one of few adoption books to feature an older child entering a new family, and the two animals' different appearances could be read as symbolizing different races. The presentation of a single mother is also unusual and valuable. Throughout, digital illustrations employ a soft, flat aesthetic rendered in a muted palette that meets the gentle text's tone. A welcome addition. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews