MY MOM AND ME
by Alyssa Capucilli and illustrated by Susan Mitchell
Five different mother-and-child pairs enjoy each other’s company in a simple book that makes a stab at multiculturalism without quite succeeding. In succession, child and mom, mami, ima, màmà and maa play, presumably in English, Spanish, Hebrew, Mandarin and Hindi, respectively. Double-fold pages lend mild interest, as opening them reveals a continuation of the text and extends the scene. Mitchell’s illustrations, although they attempt ethnic accuracy in the characters, place the mothers and children against blandly undistinguishable backgrounds that make Israel and India look equally like Indiana. Marla Stewart Konrad’s Mom and Me (2009) does a much better job of celebrating diversity. A virtually identical companion, My Dad and Me (ISBN: 978-1-4169-5829-1), will be out in April 2009. (Novelty picture book. 2-5)