Book Review of Are You My Mother?

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Eastman, Philip. 1960. ARE YOU MY MOTHER? Ill. by P.D. Eastman. New York, NY: Beginner Books. ISBN 0394900189

 

PLOT SUMMARY

A baby bird hatches while the mother is gone getting food for the baby bird. The baby bird falls out of the tree and goes in search of his mother. During his search, he asks a kitten, a hen, a dog, and a cow if they are his mother. Later, thinking that they are his mother, he calls out to a boat, a plane, and an earth-moving machine that he names “Snort.” Finally, he is luckily placed back in his nest by “Snort.” Just then, his mother returns, and they are happily reunited.           

 

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This book teaches children about curiosity and the power of perseverance and determination. The simple language is easy for beginning readers to follow. Most of the beginning pages have only one simple sentence. Slowly, as the story progresses, the number of sentences per page increases. Beginning readers are supported in their deconstruction of the text by the author’s use of repetition and predictive narrative. The story is one that beginning readers will enjoy having read to them time and time again. Likewise, it lends itself to emerging readers’ beginning attempts to read along with whoever is reading to them. Each page has an easy-to-understand line drawing illustration to accompany the text. The cartoon quality of the pictures keeps the reader’s interest and enlivens the story.   

 

 

AWARDS AND REVIEW EXCERPTS

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “I am such a big fan of the truly excellent easy reader. This is another one that blows you away with its perfect simplicity.” – Amy M. Weir

 

CONNECTIONS

* This is a book for beginning readers and young students to springboard into discussions of struggles, optimism, and hard-won successes.

* Other books related to this one:

Munk, Arnold. THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD. ISBN 9780448424057

Krauss, Ruth. THE CARROT SEED. ISBN 9780064432108

Dodge, Mary. THE LITTLE RED HEN. ISBN 9780803729353

 


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