Ages 0-3
My Two Moms and Me
By Michael Joosten
Illustrated by Izak Zenou
22 Pages | Ages 0-3
ISBN 9780525580126 | Doubleday Books for Young Readers
Families with same-sex parents are celebrated in this board book that follows busy moms and their kids throughout their day-eating breakfast, going on a playdate, heading to the pool for a swim, and settling back in at night with a bedtime story and a good-night lullaby. LGBTQ+ parents and their friends and families will welcome this inclusive and cheerful book that reflects their own lives and family makeup. With artwork by acclaimed fashion illustrator Izak Zenou, this is a stylish, smart, humorous, family-focused book that will have babies and their two moms giggling as they enjoy it together. It’s an ideal baby-shower and first-birthday gift.
Llama Llama Red Pyjama
By Anna Dewdney
34 Pages | Ages 1-3
ISBN 9780451474575 | Viking Books for Young Readers
Llama Llama’s tale of nighttime drama has charmed readers as a classic hardcover for a full decade. For the first time, Anna Dewdney’s infectious rhyming text and expressive artwork are available for the youngest of readers in this board book edition.
Ages 2-5
Superhero Mom
By Timothy Knapman
Illustrated by Joe Berger
26 Pages | Ages 2-5
ISBN 9781536212150 | Nosy Crow
All moms are amazing, and the mom in this story is no exception. She doesn’t wear a cape or fly around, but she runs for the bus so fast it feels like flying; uses her superstrength to carry her daughter’s boots, coat, bag, and scooter; and can make bumps and bruises better with just a kiss. Maybe moms really do have superpowers!
Ages 3-7
Llama Llama Mother’s Day Present
By Anna Dewdney
24 Pages | Ages 3-5
ISBN 9780593094181 | Penguin Young Readers
Llama Llama is determined to make Mother’s Day as special as possible for his mama. Your little llamas will love relating to their favorite picture book character as he faces new and challenging situations.
I Love Mom with The Very Hungry Caterpillar
By Eric Carle
32 Pages | Ages 3-5
ISBN 9780451533463 | World of Eric Carle
Show Mom just how much she means with this colorful book from the World of Eric Carle. Join The Very Hungry Caterpillar as he honors Mother’s Day and celebrates incredible parents everywhere. With joyful illustrations and colorful creatures, this charming keepsake is a great way to show parents, grandparents, soon-to-be mothers, aunts, friends, or whomever you call “Mom” just how much you care.
Great Job, Mom!
By Holman Wang
32 Pages | Ages 3-7
ISBN 9780735264083 | Tundra Books
Being a mom is eleven jobs in one! This unique picture book for very young readers celebrates the many jobs being a parent encompasses: A general who rallies the troops (or unruly kids), a curator of modern art (or finger paintings), an archeologist looking for buried treasures (or socks) . . . when Mom gets home from her day job as a carpenter, she never knows which job will be waiting for her, but she knows it’ll be fun!
Just Me and My Mom/Just Me and My Dad
By Mercer Mayer
48 Pages | Ages 3-7
ISBN 9780385371759 | Random House Books for Young Readers
This deluxe storybook features two Little Critter stories in one book! In the first story, Little Critter enjoys a day in the city with his mom. Then flip the book over to read about Little Critter’s very first camping trip with his dad.
My Mom and Me
By Adam Hargreaves
32 Pages | Ages 3-7
ISBN 9781524792381 | Grosset & Dunlap
From making you smile–even when things are going wrong–to knowing just when hugs are needed, moms are Splendid, Fun, Magic, and Sunshine: lots of the Little Misses rolled into one! This book featuring the Little Miss characters will help you show your mom just how special she is to you. The perfect book for Mother’s Day, a new mom, a mother’s birthday–or for anytime you want to say I love you. Readers can also add their own words about their mom at the end of the book to make it a special, personalized gift.
Ages 4-8
How to Raise a Mom
By Jean Reagan
Illustrated by Lee Wildish
32 Pages | Ages 4-8
ISBN 9780553538298 | Knopf Books for Young Readers
This humorous new addition to the beloved HOW TO . . . books takes readers through a playful, busy day with Mom. Written in an instructional style, two siblings suggest the best ways to raise a happy, healthy mom-from waking her up in the morning to arranging play dates, to making sure she gets enough exercise, some quiet time, and plenty of veggies! Filled with charming role-reversal humor, creative ideas, and lots of love, How to Raise a Mom is the perfect gift for Mother’s Day-or any day!
How to Babysit a Grandma
By Jean Reagan
Illustrated by Lee Wildish
32 Pages | Ages 5-8
ISBN 9780385753845 | Knopf Books for Young Readers
When you babysit a grandma, if you’re lucky, you’ll have a sleepover at her house! And with the useful tips found in this book, you’re guaranteed to become an expert grandma-sitter in no time. (Be sure to check out the sections on: How to keep a grandma busy; Things to do at the park; Possible places to sleep, and what to do once you’re both tucked in for the night.)
Ages 7-10
Fairy Mom and Me #1
By Sophie Kinsella
Illustrated by Marta Kissi
160 Pages | Ages 7-10
ISBN 9780735263352 | Puffin Canada
Ella Brook can’t wait to grow up, because one day she will become a fairy and have her own sparkly wings and a teacher on Fairy Tube, just like her mom! Until then, Ella has to learn by watching her mom in action. But sometimes spells go wrong, and Ella’s mom can never seem to remember the right magic codes. A lot of the time, it’s up to Ella to come to the rescue. Does she have what it takes to be a fairy one day? Or will there be more glitches than glitter?
Fairy Mom and Me #2: Fairy in Waiting
By Sophie Kinsella
Illustrated by Marta Kissi
160 Pages | Ages 7-10
ISBN 9780735263383 | Puffin Canada
Ella Brook is used to being a Fairy-in-Waiting. It means that one day she will become a fairy with her own sparkly wings and Computawand just like her mom. But sometimes Ella doesn’t want to have to wait any longer. After all, she helps her mom remember magic codes all the time! If only there was a spell for growing up faster. Will Ella prove that she’s ready to become a fairy? Or will she learn that she doesn’t need real magic to save the day?
Ages 8-12
Anne of Green Gables
By L. M. Montgomery
384 Pages | Ages 8-12
ISBN 9781770497313 | Tundra Books
When Marilla Cuthbert and her brother, Matthew, decide to adopt a child from a distant orphanage, they don’t get quite what they bargained for. The child who awaits them at the tiny Bright River train station is not the strapping young boy they’d imagined–someone to help Matthew work the fields of their small farm–but rather a freckle-faced, redheaded girl named Anne (with an e, if you please).
Matthew and Marilla may not be sure about Anne, but Anne takes one look at Prince Edward Island’s red clay roads and the Cuthberts’ snug white farmhouse with its distinctive green gables and decides that she’s home at last. But will she be able to convince Marilla and Matthew to let her stay?
Armed with only a battered carpetbag and a boundless imagination, Anne charms her way into the Cuthberts’ hearts–and into the hearts of readers as well. She truly is, in the words of Mark Twain, “the dearest and most lovable child in fiction since the immortal Alice.”
Marvel Fearless and Fantastic! Female Super Heroes Save the World
By Sam Maggs, Ruth Amos and Emma Grange
128 Pages | Ages 8-12
ISBN 9781465478856 | DK Children
How did Captain Marvel gain superhuman powers? When was Shuri crowned queen of Wakanda? From Gamora to Wasp, this beautiful illustrated book celebrates diverse female Super Heroes who use their strength, intelligence, and courage to save the world. More than 50 character profiles explore the origins and achievements of fierce fan-favorites such as Ms. Marvel, America Chavez, Squirrel Girl, and Black Widow. With a foreword by Marvel Comics writer Kelly Thompson, DK’s Fearless and Fantastic! is the ultimate feminist tribute to Marvel Comics’ most powerful women and girls. This book will be a treasured gift for comic book fans and beginners, and fans of 2019’s hugely popular Captain Marvel movie.
Wonder
By R.J. Palacio
320 Pages | Ages 8-12
ISBN 9780375869020 | Knopf Books for Young Readers
August Pullman was born with a facial difference that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid-but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face. Wonder, now a #1 New York Times bestseller and included on the Texas Bluebonnet Award master list, begins from Auggie’s point of view, but soon switches to include his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others. These perspectives converge in a portrait of one community’s struggle with empathy, compassion, and acceptance.
All Ages
Guess How Much I Love You
By Sam McBratney
Illustrated by Anita Jeram
40 Pages | All Ages
ISBN 9780763674489 | Candlewick
Sometimes, when you love someone very, very much, you want to find a way of describing how much you treasure them. But, as Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare discover, love is not an easy thing to measure! For two decades, Sam McBratney’s timelessly endearing story, beautifully rendered in Anita Jeram’s exquisite watercolors, has captured the deep and tender bond between parent and child. Guess How Much I Love You is one of the world’s best-loved picture books.
You Are My Mother: Inspired by P.D. Eastman’s Are You My Mother?
By P.D. Eastman
32 Pages | All Ages
ISBN 9780593121184 | Random House Books for Young Readers
What do you give the mother who introduced you to P. D. Eastman’s Are You My Mother? Why, P. D. Eastman’s You Are My Mother, of course-a small hardcover gift book of unrhymed observations about the ways our mothers make us the people we are today! Featuring slightly color-enhanced artwork from Are You My Mother?, the observations (delivered by the baby bird star of the book) are charming, funny, and sure to rekindle cherished memories of reading together. An ideal gift for Mother’s Day, birthdays, or any day you just want to say thanks to Mom and tell her you love her!
Need more inspiration? Check out Indigo’s Mother Day shop for more great gifts for Mom!
Ray
Fairy Mom and Me #3: Fairy Unicorn Wishes
Last night we were saddened to hear of the death of Jean Little, a beloved and distinguished member of the Canadian children’s literary community. Born in Taiwan in 1932 to Canadian doctors who were serving as missionaries, Jean was legally blind from birth. After obtaining a B.A. in English Language & Literature from the University of Toronto, she taught briefly before her first novel, Mine for Keeps, was published in 1962 and she went on to publish over fifty works including picture books, novels, memoir, short fiction, and poetry.
