Is Mommy? (Hardcover)
Is Mommy tall or short?
Short!
Is Mommy fun or boring?
Boring!
In this joyous ode to hardworking mothers everywhere—who may not always be fun or organized or neat—Victoria Chang asks, do their toddlers love them anyway? Of course! Marla Frazee’s colorful and humorous illustrations bring this simple text—perfect for reading aloud—to vivid life.
Marla Frazee is the recipient of a Boston Globe–Horn Book Award for Picture Book and a three-time Caldecott Honor winner. She has illustrated many acclaimed picture books, including All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon, Stars by Mary Lyn Ray, and Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers, as well as her own Farmer Books trilogy, A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever, and The Boss Baby, which inspired the DreamWorks Animation film. She is also the illustrator of the New York Times bestselling Clementine chapter books by Sara Pennypacker. The mother of three grown sons, she lives in Pasadena, California. Visit her at MarlaFrazee.com.
— Kirkus Reviews
An unseen narrator poses questions about Mommy to six toddlers: Is she tall or short; pretty or ugly; nice or mean; fun or boring; young or old; neat or messy? In each case, the shouted reply is the latter, more negative alternative. Yet when asked, “Do you love your short, ugly, mean, boring, old, messy mommy?” the rejoinder is a resounding “YES!” What might have been a slightly irreverent but ultimately reaffirming question-and-response tale here becomes a hilarious narrative, thanks to Frazee’s artistic talent. Using
tempera paint on Manila paper, she creates matching toddler-mommy pairs, each decked out in a distinctive candy color, with matching clothing and hairstyle. Her uncluttered spreads feature only the characters and oversize speech balloons, which will help toddlers to focus on the story essentials. And, although messy Mommy’s cupcakes may have something to do with the final positive comeback, it’s clear that everyone here is having a wonderful time. Kids will appreciate the story’s visual absurdities, making it
perfect for story time or one-on-one sharing.
— Booklist
Poet Chang (The Boss) makes her children’s debut with a dialogue between children and an unseen narrator, which Frazee (The Farmer and the Clown) draws with raucous exuberance. The cast is a crayon box of round-headed elfin preschoolers—a red one in polka dots, a green one with many pigtails, and soon. “Is Mommy tall or short?” the narrator asks the polka-dot girl. A spread shows the alternatives, comically exaggerated: does her mommy tower over her,or is she a tiny doll? A page turn reveals her shouted reply: “Short!” A child in orange pajamas joins her. “Is Mommy pretty... or ugly?” (the child’s groggymother awakens with a wild, spiky bedhead and puffy slits for eyes). “Ugly!”yells orange pajamas. The children always choose the rudest option, but the group answers the final question (“Do you love your short, ugly, mean, boring,old, messy mommy?”) with a resounding “Yes!”....the children’s anarchic glee rings very true.
— Publishers Weekly
Toddler-PreS–A troupe of toddlerscheekily field questions about their mothers. An unseen narrator asks, “Ismommy tall.../or short?” A red-headed imp ponders the query and imagines a tallmommy reaching down for a loving embrace, and then fantasizes about toweringover a suddenly diminutive, doll-like mommy. A huge speech bubble, spreadacross the next two pages, shouts the child’s answer: “Short!” More options areposed to a growing crowd of mischievous tots, such as whether Mommy is boringor fun, young or old, neat or messy. The contrary answers are bellowed out withunabashed glee. The final question, “Do you love your short, ugly, mean,boring, old, messy mommy?” is answered with an unequivocal “YES!” Frazee’stempera paint illustrations take center stage and star a colorful cast ofchildren who are outfitted in primary color wardrobes and have uniquelyfashioned hairdos. VERDICT Toddlers will relish thesimple, headstrong text in this quirky book.
— School Library Journal *STARRED REVIEW*