
by Jennifer Diamonti, Senior Youth Services Librarian
This May we honor all the mothers in our lives. For over 100 years, we have celebrated Mother’s Day, and all that mothers do for their children. Anna Jarvis spearheaded the movement to create this holiday to commemorate her own mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, who was born in nearby Culpeper.
The elder Jarvis was an advocate for women and families who worked throughout her life to improve her community. Her death was the motivation for the younger Jarvis to campaign for the creation of the holiday. Anna Jarvis’ efforts paid off when, in 1914, Woodrow Wilson declared the second Sunday of May to be Mother’s Day.
Mothers, grandmothers, and other maternal figures are integral to who we become as people and can influence who we become as readers. An important aspect of a child’s early literacy skill development is making books available to your child and letting them see you enjoying reading. The library can help you achieve both of these goals!
Encourage your child to check out books on their favorite topics, select titles for younger children you think they would enjoy, and take home a few books for yourself. If you decide a book is not for you, return it and try another! Library books are a great way to try new titles and find new favorites.
Another way to enjoy new books is by registering to attend the library’s online story times held twice each week. Children up to age five and their families can enjoy songs and rhymes together and listen to a book or two selected by that day’s reader.
Having trouble deciding what to read? Give the library a call to speak with one of our librarians for reader’s advisory service or complete a Bookmatch request on the library’s website to receive up to ten suggested titles based on your or your child’s interests.
One special way mothers and children can spend time together on this Mother’s Day, and every day, is by reading together. Reading to children from infancy is an important part of their early literacy development. Finding a quiet moment to share a book together can be a nice bonding experience between a mother and child and foster a love of reading that can last a lifetime.
The relationship between a mother and child is often explored in children’s books. Children enjoy reading about what is familiar to them, and there is little more familiar to a child than their mother. These titles feature mothers bonding with their babies, special days spent with Grandma, and favorite characters exploring maternal relationships. In their pages, you may explore separation anxiety and the angst of sharing Mother with a new sibling, experience hardships and joyful times together, and, of course, celebrate a mother’s love. Many of these diverse selections are award-winning books, classics of juvenile literature, or by tried and true authors in their field. Although children in preschool through 3rd grade are the intended audience for the titles below, these books would be wonderful to share with younger children as well.
Animal Mothers
I’ve Loved You Since Forever by Hoda Kotb; illustrated by Suzie Mason
The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn; illustrated by Ruth E. Harper and Nancy M. Leak
Llama Llama Home With Mama by Anna Dewdney
The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown; illustrated by Clement Hurd
Whose Chick Are You? by Nancy Tafuri
Grandmothers
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña; illustrated by Christian Robinson
Mango, Abuela, and Me by Meg Medina; illustrated by Angela Dominguez
Nana in the City by Lauren Castillo
Mother and Child
Lala Salama: A Tanzanian Lullaby by Patricia MacLachlan; illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon
My Mom by Anthony Browne
Storytimes to Go: Preschool Kit – Mommies
Mother and Daughter
Like the Moon Loves the Sky by Hena Khan; illustrated by Saffa Khan
Mama, Do You Love Me? by Barbara M. Joosse; illustrated by Barbara Lavallee
Pecan Pie Baby by Jacqueline Woodson; illustrated by Sophie Blackall
Saturday by Oge Mora
Mother and Son
Are You Awake? by Sophie Blackall
Mama Zooms by Jane Cowen-Fletcher
Puddle by Hyewon Yum
Will There Be a Lap for Me? By Dorothy Corey; illustrated by Nancy Poydar
Mother’s Day
Clifford’s Happy Mother’s Day by Norman Bridwell
Mamá and Me by Arthur Dorros; illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez
The Mother’s Day Mice by Eve Bunting; illustrated by Jan Brett
We’re Making Breakfast for Mother by Shirley Neitzel; illustrated by Nancy Winslow Parker
Non-Fiction
All New Crafts for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day by Kathy Ross; illustrated by Sharon Lane Holm
A Mother’s Journey by Sandra Markle; illustrated by Alan Mark
Poems for Mothers selected by Myra Cohn Livingston; illustrated by Deborah Kogan Ray
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