"Are You My Mother" by P.D. Eastman
Bibliography
Summary
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Shortly after hatching, a young bird
sets out on an adventure to find his mother and finds many other creatures
along the way.
Analysis
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Since this book is part of the vast Dr.
Seuss collection, it is practically a requirement for houses with children. I
did not like the taupe-tinted illustrations in this book at first, but it soon
became apparent (upon the 20th reading or so) that they served a
purpose. They keep the book from being too distracting for the child to grasp
the story line. The images of cows, chickens and kittens (some fan favorites)
could detract from the story.
This book uses the oldest trick in the…book…
to entertain young readers. Repetition! The chorus of “Are you my mother?” is
easy for kids to “read” along with and also gives them something they can
associate with: mothers. They know what a mother is and it is silly for them to
think a kitten or cow could be their mom. The large print means that they can
visibly follow along as you read and see/hear the words being modeled.
My
favorite thing about this book has very little to do with what is actually in
it. This was the first book I saw my young child actually pick up, flip through
and retell. The story line followed Freytag’s pyramid and was much more complex
than “Monkey likes the color red. Cow likes the color green,” etc. She was able
to recognize the problem, action and solution easily. A book that can convey
story line while maintaining simplicity is a wonderful find and a great learning
tool!
Reviews
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Scholastic Parent & Child 100
Greatest Books for Kids (2012)
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