Mum and me by Annie White
Lothian, 2010. ISBN 9780733625213.
(3+) Recommended. A verse story celebrating the love that a little girl
has for her mother, Mum and me is a delight to read aloud. Told from
the little girl's perspective, the reader is taken through a series of
daily events, starting with breakfast, when 'My mum knows just what I
like. She makes me toast with vegemite'. As the day continues,
the little girl is allowed to dress in her favourite clothes and to
paint her toe nails pink. The rest of the day is filled with fun and
games: trumpet practice, hide and seek and splashing in puddles.
The illustrations perfectly complement the text. The figures are big
and bold and stand out against a pastel or white background. Mum and
her daughter wear bright coloured clothes and both have gorgeous spiral
hairstyles. I loved the little toy bear and doll that popped up in most
of the pictures, often with comical expressions on their faces or
actions to match what is happening in the story.
This is a book that will be perfect as a gift for Mother's Day or to
use in a theme about families. Beginning readers will also love the
rhymes and will be able to work out many of the words from the pictures.
Pat Pledger