5 picture books perfect for Mother’s Day

Books

I was chatting to some of my friends about Mother’s Day gifts and about how commercial the day has become. None of us especially expect anything expensive or extravagant (although admittedly we wouldn’t complain too much if diamonds/a designer hand bag/a spa day were thrown in our direction). Most of us would settle for a lie-in, a day off from nappies and wiping bottoms and no tantrumming kids. My most favourite Mother’s Day gifts are the cards hand-made by my children, and the picture books they’ve excitedly presented me with on various Mother’s Days with hand-written notes scrawled in the front. I want them to know these kinds of days are not about the commercial, but taking the time to express how we feel towards people. Here are five Mummy books we love.

Peppa Pig – My Mummy (Ladybird)

Peppa Pig My Mummy

It seems like all toddlers I know love Peppa Pig, so this simple hard-back board book with brightly coloured, robust pages is a good one to celebrate how wonderful mummies are. Over 16 pages, we see that Mummy always treats Peppa and George like they are big people – but is always there when they are frightened; that she can be serious when she needs to be but also has fun; she can be neat and tidy but of course she loves jumping in muddy puddles almost as much as Peppa does. There are also versions for My Daddy, My Granny and My Grandpa.

 

I Want My Mum Little Princess by Tony Ross (Harper Collins)

Little Princess I Want My Mum

I must confess I’m really not a fan of The Little Princess, the way she shouts and screams and generally tantrums to get her own way. But we picked up a few titles in a charity shop and my children love them. In this book, the Little Princess accidentally ruins a painting she has been working on, hurts her leg, worries there’s a monster under her bed – responding every time by shouting “I WANT MY MUM!” She goes for a sleepover at The Little Duchess’s house – reluctantly at first, crying that she wants her mum. However, she soon starts enjoying herself so much so that it’s the Queen, her mother, who is left sobbing “I want my little princess!”

 

I Love My Mummy – Sebastien Braun (Boxer Books)

I Love My Mummy

I was given this book by Little Miss E for my first birthday as a mummy, when she was nine months old. I think Cardiff Daddy had been inspired by the I Love My Daddy equivalent by the same author, which Miss E had given him a few months earlier. The illustrations in this book are truly stunning, showing a range of baby and mummy animals, such as deers, otters, foxes and birds in heart-melting scenarios. The text is really simple – My mummy takes my swimming/My mummy plays games with me/My mummy feeds me, and so on, making this a great choice for babies and toddlers.

 

Why I Love My Mummy illustrated by Daniel Howarth (Harper Collins)

Why I Love My Mummy

In a similar style to the Sebastian Braun book, this features mummy and baby penguins, dolphins, elephants, swans and so on. The simple and formulaic text describes the reasons why the little children love their mummies – I love my mummy because… she feeds me/I love my mummy because… she always hugs me, and so on. There’s also a little frame at the back of the book for your child/children to insert a photo of you and them.

 

Monkey Puzzle by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler (Macmillan)

Monkey Puzzle

A little monkey has lost its mum and enlists the help of Butterfly to find her. Monkey gives Butterfly clues as to what Mum looks like – but each time Butterfly takes Monkey to the wrong animal. Monkey gets frustrated, “Butterfly, butterfly can’t you see? None of these creatures looks like me!” But as butterfly points out, “You never told me she looked like you… I didn’t know. I couldn’t! You see… None of my babies looks like me.” Eventually mother and baby are reunited in this heart-warming tale which combines lyrical rhymes with bright and detailed images from the creators of The Gruffalo and countless other classic children’s picture books.

Mummy Books collage 1 with text

Do you have a favourite Mummy book you like to read with your child? Do let me know in the comments section below, by tweeting me on @cardiffmummy or on the Cardiff Mummy Says Facebook page.

You might also like this post: 10 of the best picture books to tell your child you love them

You can see all my posts on children’s books on the Books section of Cardiff Mummy Says.

 

 

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3 Comments to 5 picture books perfect for Mother’s Day

  1. Great post we have a couple of the books which the girls love will definitely getting one each of the others for Emily from the girls

  2. I love the look of “I love my Mummy” by Sebastian Braun. I think it makes such a difference to have beautiful illustrations in a book, especially if the children are very young. I still remember books from my childhood from the pictures more than anything.

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