Love You, Mum

Love You, Mum illustrated by Karen Hull (Lothian/Hachette)
HB RRP $9.99
ISBN: 9780734414441
Reviewed by Hilary Smillie

With Mother's Day just around the corner, Hachette has released this stunning in-house picture book in perfect gift size. Karen Hull's Australiana
illustrations were inspired by the wildlife of Featherdale Wildlife Park and complement the simple text of the daily routine of mothers and offspring in the bush. Double page spreads of each pair and large lettering give maximum effect.

The beautiful cover depiction of a mother penguin with an arm around her chick is typical of what lies between the covers. Delicate bilbies nose to nose; deep pink galahs and rainbow lorikeets tending their spiky-feathered infants; Mother Koala piggy-backing baby koala; dingos howling and bats hanging are just some of the delights in store.

Love You, Mum is not just a tender example of the love between mother and offspring and the offspring's appreciation. There is a strong educational factor in the accuracy of Karen Hull's illustrations. This is a special Mother's Day offering which both mother and child will enjoy. 

Mummy, You're Special to Me

Mummy, You're Special to Me by Laine Mitchell, illustrated by Kim Fleming (Scholastic Australia)

HB RRP $16.99

ISBN 978-1-74283- 981-3

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Mummy, You're Special To Me is a sweet picture book celebrating the strengths and skills of mothers and their special relationships with their children.

Told in verse, the story begins and ends with baby giraffe and his mother. In between, a range of other animals enjoy time with their mums. Turtle Mummy builds excellent sand castles and knows about waves. Monkey Mummy paints pictures and climbs trees and Mummy Kangaroo tucks Joey in tight and tells stories just right.

The illustrations glow. They are lively and luminous. They exude the happiness and light playful atmosphere portrayed in the text. The animals are sweet and in their own environments and if you look closely you will see that Baby Giraffe follows the story too, appearing in the background every page.

While the text is a little awkward to read in places (words forced to make the rhyme work) the comfortable, cosy mother/child relationships portrayed make this easy to overlook. The refrain Mummy, you're special to me is used every page and this repetition adds even more rhythm to the story. Also the skills these mothers possess are relatable for young children - story telling, kindness, jokes, wisdom, encouragement and humour to name a few.

With it's beautiful illustrations and sweet sentiment, this book is a lovely one for pre-schoolers to share with family, especially Mum.

How I Love You

How I Love You by Anna Pignataro (Scholastic Press)

HB RRP $16.99

ISBN 978-1-74283-818-2

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Although not specifically marketed towards Mother's Day, this charming picture book relates expressions of love between children and their mothers and would be perfect for the mood of Mother's Day celebrations.

Populated with Australian animals - mums and babies - this story is filled with expressive text, warmth and gentle movement. Energetic words such as snuggled, nuzzled, tickled and nestled, conjure up lovely images of these little animals and their own special ways of showing love.

     Very Spiky Echidna was tumbling in a ball. Very Spiky Echidna snuggled by Mummy's

     tummy and said, 'This is how I love you, Mummy.'

The illustrations are beautiful. Muted colours - browns, olive greens and grey blues - reminiscent of the Australian bush create soft images. Characters such as Little Sooty Owl, Little Wobbly Wombat and Baby Possum are very much alive in the pages of this book.

How I Love You is a beautiful story showing the mother child relationship wrapped in love. Its’ calmness and repetition make it perfect for bedtime reading and the strong sturdy pages and binding means it will survive countless readings and little fingers.

Who would not want to be loved like the mothers in this story? Baby Possum cradled Mummy's face and said, 'This is how I love you, Mummy.'

Awesome Aussie Things to do with Mum

Awesome Aussie Things to do with Mum illustrated by Simon Williams (Scholastic Australia)

HB RRP $12.99

ISBN 978-1-74283-995-0

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

With Mother's Day approaching it's the perfect time to start thinking of Mum and activities you can do together. Awesome Aussie Things to do with Mum is the perfect book to help with this. Whatever your Mum's interests, this book can show you some awesome things to do together.

From indoor activities, to gardening, games, backyard projects and beach fun, there are so many ideas for you to explore.

Does your Mum like trees? Learn the art of Bonsai pruning together. Choose a suitable Australian species - eucalyptus, Grevillea, or Banksia - and get snipping. Does she want to put her feet up at meal time? Maybe you can make her some Home Cooked Tucker with a Twist? Teach her some new dance moves so she doesn't embarrass you at the next party, or build the most awesome sandcastle ever together next time you are at the beach.

There are recipes, excellent illustrations teaching skills such as knitting, and instructions for games from Mum's childhood such as Cat's Cradle, Knucklebones (Jacks) and Elastics.

Filled with quirky illustrations, fun facts, great tips, awesome ideas and step-by-step instructions this book will help you to discover just how amazing your Mum really is.