If I Were Your Mother [Hardcover]

Margaret Park Bridges (Author), Kady MacDonald Denton (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

Imagine if children were in charge for a day. This is a book that invites the very young to share their own dreams and wishes with parents. Illustrations and dialogue capture the spirit of friendship and affection beteen parent and child.'

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In Margaret Park Bridges's whimsical, loving story of a mother and her daughter, the little girl tells her mom about all the things she would do for her if they traded places for a while. "If I were your mother, I'd give you a big canopy bed and bring you breakfast on a silver tray," the little girl ventures. She'd also let her go to school in her silky red party dress and high heels, even on gym day. She'd let her sleep in Granny's soft, furry coat--inside out--with her legs in the sleeves! And she'd kiss her forehead every night so she would have sweet dreams. Kady MacDonald Denton, illustrator of Would They Love a Lion? and The Umbrella Party, puts her endearing, comical, Maurice Sendak-like touch on this winning flight of fancy. The gentle affection between the mother and daughter is tangible, and children will adore the imaginative indulgences, from giant tree houses (with an elevator and a firefighter's pole to slide down) to taking a bath with goldfish. This would be a perfect Mother's Day present from a daughter to her mom... or a warm, deeply satisfying bedtime story any time of the year. Dads, take heart! This talented team has also created If I Were Your Father. (Ages 3 and older) --Karin Snelson

From Publishers Weekly

In these affectionate companion books, a girl imagines switching places with her mother, and a boy with his father. The children describe whimsical activities like building a tree house with an elevator and hiding so much buried treasure in their pockets that their pants fall down. But most of the children's ideas hint slyly at what their parents don't let them do: "If I were your mother, I'd let you jump from the sofa to the armchair"; "If I were your father, I wouldn't yell if you stood in front of the TV while I was watching a game." The parent and child banter playfully, building on the scenarios in alternating red and blue text to indicate which line of dialogue belongs to which speaker. Bridges reuses the parent-child call-and-response format of her Will You Take Care of Me?, but with greater originality and range. The lightness and warmth of Denton's (A Child's Treasure of Nursery Rhymes) watercolors complement the softness of the text. Her impish, wide-faced characters may remind readers of more staid versions of Maurice Sendak's (a few of the girl's poses and costumes look borrowed). While the mother and daughter are snugglier than their male counterparts (Dad refers to his boy as "buddy" throughout), the girl is the livelier of the two kids; her dancing, swinging and jumping convey terrific energy. Both books revel in the coziness of a loving relationship. Ages 3-up. (May)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Morrow Junior; First Edition edition (April 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688151906
• ISBN-13: 978-0688151904
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 9.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,668,020 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Margaret Park Bridges was born in New York City and raised in Portland, Oregon. She started writing poetry and won the Academy of American Poets Prize while attending Bowdoin College. She wrote a one-act comedy called "Looking Out," which was made into a short films by a film studen at NYU and also performed at the Quaigh Theater in New York City and in Lafayette, Louisiana, where she was married. After moving to Massachusetts, she won the Special Award for Excellence in Japan's Suntory Mystery Fiction Competition for "My Dear Watson." Later, when her daughters were young, she wrote several children's picture books. She is pleased to see "My Dear Watson" in print again--this time finally in English! She works for an educational publisher in Boston and lives with her haiku poet husband in Littleton, Massachusetts.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's good to remember, July 24, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: If I Were Your Mother (Hardcover)

I love this book because it reminds me of how sweet, magical, and all too brief childhood is. I've read it to and now with my daughter and we laugh at the specifics of the role reversal fantasy. The soft illustrations complement the gentle goodness of the story. It's a favorite at our house.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars another gem by this author, April 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: If I Were Your Mother (Hardcover)

This book is beautifully crafted, with extremely clever dialog. The author clearly demonstrates her understanding of the bond between mother and daughter. The book evokes wonderful images of a warm moment shared with a child. The illustrations too lend a great deal to the story.

5.0 out of 5 stars The kind of book that brings tears to your eyes -- in a good way!, September 28, 2009

By 

Kathryn - See all my reviews

This review is from: If I Were Your Mother (Hardcover)

This is an absolutely touching book about the bond between mother and daughter. My child loves it and so do I. The author uses well-chosen words to beautifully paint a picture of how a child would take care of her own mother, if their roles were reversed. The mother lovingly and supportively plays along with the girl's imaginative ideas. To me, the message said so much more. It makes a reader think of their own mother and how our parents are our first teachers of how to be good parents -- parents who know how to love unconditionally, and embrace every day with child-like zest. I am surprised that it is out of print, but actually found a new copy to purchase and I got it for my own mother. Now we are three generations loving this book.