My Mommy Medicine

The narrator, a brown-skinned girl, defines "Mommy Medicine" as a special brand of TLC--a combination of pampering and playfulness that her mother offers "whenever I am sick or just feel kind of gloomy or sad." Mommy's indomitable energy and toolkit of healing techniques are something to behold: she can plant "a kiss so loud it reminds me of a French horn at Mardi Gras," deliver a rousing medley, give her all in a session of pretend play, or just sit quietly with her daughter "watching my ceiling's glow-in-the-dark stars flicker, making our own sky." Heartfelt prose by adult author Danticat can seem more like an adult's recollection than a child's impression ("Sometimes it's a whispered prayer, just before nodding off at nap time"), but the vignettes are full of glad familial love. Wright, an illustrator and cartoonist making her picture book debut, supplies largely realistic scenes in a poignant home-video style. Together, they leave no doubt about how good it feels to be the total center of attention--even when there's "actual" yucky medicine involved. Ages 3-6. (Feb.)

PreS-Gr 2-Danticat (Mama's Nightingale) pays tribute to the ways in which mothers (or other caregivers, as she notes in the back matter) take care of their children when they are sick or down in the dumps. A young black girl shares a descriptive list of the things her mom does to help her feel better: playing games, telling stories, and making food, among many other acts of comfort and healing. She describes each type of "Mommy Medicine" using vivid language, similes, and metaphors. "Or soup--pea, chicken, or squash. I love squash! It's like sunshine in a bowl." The illustrations by Wright, a political cartoonist, burst with the love between the familial pair. She draws with detail and an array of glowing colors that fill each page. The focus is on the mother and daughter, who appear in each vignette like stills from an animation. VERDICT A warm and fuzzy offering for sick days on the couch or everyday reading. A recommended purchase.--Clara Hendricks, Cambridge Public Library, MA

"Heartfelt prose . . . [and vignettes] full of glad familial love . . . leave no doubt about how good it feels to be the total center of attention." —Publishers Weekly