Mum’s the word: 10 Children’s Books About Mothers

Mother’s Day is upon us and what better way to celebrate such an occasion but with a book list? Below are some of our favourite children’s books about mothers and their babies.

10 Children’s Books About Mothers

Little Tiger by Julie Abery, illustrated by Suzie Mason

This is a sweet little board book that takes us through the day of a baby tiger. He wakes up, wakes up everyone else, explores the jungle, falls into a river and is rescued by mama tiger, and in the evening snuggles up close to mum when it’s time to sleep again. There are bits that rhyme and there is a lovely rhythm that makes this a great read-aloud book. — Jen

Mom Loves Little Jumbo by Yasushi Muraki

Another cute board book about an animal and his mum, this time it’s about an elephant pair. Jumbo is a baby elephant and the book is all about the things that makes Jumbo’s mum the best, like how she always protects him, catches him when he falls, plays with him, and snuggles up close at bedtime. I really like the illustrations in this: muted colours, soft felt-like texture (if I had any knowledge of art at all I think I would be able to describe this much better). — Jen

Does Kangaroo Have a Mother Too? by Eric Carle

Yes, it’s another animal one (we really don’t have very many kids’ books featuring humans in our personal library). This is a fun one that introduces all sorts of animals and asks if they all have mothers (spoiler: yes, they do). I love Carle’s signature illustration style and this is one I’m happy to have in our collection. — Jen

You Are New by Lucy Knisley

A book that features humans! This is actually more about new babies than mothers, but new babies have mothers (as the previous book taught us) and I think this is a sweet book for new mothers. This is a charming book that highlights how EVERYTHING is new and amazing and wonderful when you have just entered the world. But it’s not just about newborn babes; you continue learning new things and having new adventures for many years to come. The message of this book is shown to me every day that I spend with Tilly as I watch her learn and explore and discover. This is a book I highly recommend as a present for a new baby or someone’s first Mother’s Day. — Jen

From Mother to Mother by Émilie Vast

This is a novel board book that takes nesting dolls to explain how matrilineal heritage works. For example, page one says, “A very, very, very, very long time ago, my mother’s mother’s mother’s mother’s mother’s mom gave birth to . . . ” And the next page shows a red nesting doll, and the page reads, “my mother’s great-great-grandmother.” Each page goes down a degree in parentage, and the nesting doll gets smaller and changes color. On the last page the mother gives birth to her very own child, the smallest nesting doll. It’s a really sweet image, and each nesting doll has different designs–like ants, whales, flowers, etc–that are cool for pointing out to a little one. You’ll need some nesting dolls to go with it! — Margaret

My Mom Is Magical! by Sabrina Moyle, Illustrated by Eunice Moyle

Marian and I love this colorful and magical exploration of how amazing moms are. “My mom is more amazing than a billion butterflies!” a unicorn exclaims, “sillier than a band of bananas . . . cuddlier than a mountain yak!” The images all feature a unicorn and they can be quite silly: the unicorn flies into space with a narwhal in one image, in another, it plays drums in a banana parade, because of course! As a fantasy-loving Mom, this is my favorite board book about moms. We reading it for our author photos. Moms are definitely magical creatures, and children are too! — Margaret

Mommy Sayang by Rosana Sullivan

As a mom with a disability, I appreciate books with good disability representation. In Mommy Sayang, Aleeya lists all the things she loves doing with her mommy–from reading stories to watering the red hibiscus flowers. That is, until Mommy Sayang (which means dearest) falls ill, and has to stay in bed. Hopefully, there’s never a time when I’m bedridden and unable to care for Marian, but it’s a possibility, and many moms out there have experienced disability and chronic illness. This is such a great book to read with children who have chronically ill family members. The story takes place in Malaysia, where the author’s mother lived before moving to the U.S. The images are sweet and use bright, pastel hues. Rosana Sullivan is an artist for Pixar Animations. — Margaret

Mommy’s Khimar by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, Illustrated by Ebony Glenn

A khimar is a head wrap that some Muslim women wear. They’re similar to hijabs, but generally longer. In Mommy’s Khimar, a young Muslim girl plays dress up with her mommy’s khimar, and imagines all sorts of scenarios. In one, she imagines her khimar as feathers draped over her baby brother as he sleeps in a nest, my favorite image in the book. This is a really sweet, #ownvoices picture book about the relationship between and Muslim mom and her daughter, and how that relationship intersects with wearing the khimar. — Margaret

Mommy, Mama, and Me by Lesléa Newman, Illustrated by Carol Thompson

This is one of the first board books to feature a gay couple. The toddler in this book has two mothers–Mama and Mommy. Each mother shares happy moments with their little one in gentle, rhythmic text and gentle, soft images. If you’re in a lesbian relationship and have children then this book is a must, but even if your child has parents of opposite genders, this is a fantastic book to have on the shelf. Children should know that families look like many things. — Margaret

Llama Llama Book Series by Anna Dewdney

I’ve written about them before, but the Llama Llama books are Marian’s favorites. We read these all day long. They only feature a mother–never a father–so I assume it’s about a single llama mother and her llama son. They’re fun, engaging, and show a wide range of emotion. — Margaret

Do you have a favorite children’s books about mothers?