Mama, Do You Love Me? [Board book]

Barbara M. Joosse (Author), Barbara Lavallee (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1998 | Series: Mama

This beloved story of a child testing the limits of her independence, and a mother who reassuringly proves that a parents love is unconditional and everlasting is a perfect first book for toddlers.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This exceptional board-book tells a beautiful and timeless story about a daughter's attempt to find the limit of her mother's love. Barbara Lavallee's exquisite illustrations of Alaska, with their exaggeratedly foreshortened perspective and rich tones of violet, blue-gray, and gray-green, tell of an easy declaration ("I love you more than the raven loves his treasure, more than the dog loves his tail, more than the whale loves his spout") that is pushed, and pushed, and ("What if I put salmon in your parka ... and ermine in your mukluks?") pushed. There's a quiet joyfulness in both the antics of the Inuit mother and daughter and in the animals--including a polar bear and a musk ox--that the daughter imagines she might become. A charming story for mothers and daughters of all ages. (Baby to preschool) --Richard Farr

From Publishers Weekly

A decade ago, PW called Barbara Joosse's Mama, Do You Love Me?, illus. by Barbara Lavallee, "a striking volume which uses a timeless culture to convey a timeless message." Chronicle celebrates the book's success with a 10th anniversary commemorative edition that includes a fabric jacket and a limited edition print of mother and child.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Board book: 24 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (July 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811821315
• ISBN-13: 978-0811821315
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.7 x 6.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (67 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #122,850 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Message, Great Book July 26, 2001

By E. Arentsen

Format:Hardcover

This story focuses on one simple question that every child thinks at one point or another. The question is whether their parents will always love them no matter what the child does. This story confirms for children young and old, that no matter what they do, their parents (mama) will still love them.

The story is delightfully told from the perspective of the Intuit culture. The mischief the child creates deals with things that are unique to that culture such as accidentally dropping ptarmigan eggs, spilling the oil in the family's lamp, slipping an emrine in mama's mukluks or turning into a Walrus. My son and I enjoy talking about how different cultures live and what they believe and this book has started some fun conversations.

I believe the story does not prompt children into asking the "wrong" question as mentioned in other reviews. The story promotes the idea of a parent's love and acceptance no matter what their little hellion does and does it with a wonderful story and captivating artwork. This has become one of our favorite books.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars What every child should know without a doubt! September 2, 2005

By KSL

Format:Board book

This is such an awesome book! And even though my daughter is only 32 months old she already asks for this book by name! It's such a simple concept... no matter what you do, your parents love you. It is so important that children know this. Their actions might not be the best but that does not change a parents love for their child.

I love the how each page is just focused on the Mama and her daughter & doll, that the artist choose just to have them alone on the page. I also like seeing different cultures and how they live, I think it is important for our children to see how other children live.

My favorite pages are the last several ones... " What if I turned into a olar bear, and I was the meanest bear you ever saw and I had sharp, sharp teeth, and I chased you into your tentand you cried? Then I would be very surprised and very scared. But still, inside the bear you would be you, and I would love you. I will love you, forever and for always, because you are my Dear One.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A winner! December 9, 2002

By A Customer

Format:Board book

This book is one of my favorites for preschoolers (and even for older children--my first grade students enjoyed it, too). To address some of the concerns other reviewers had: this book is about unconditional love--so, yes, the mother continues to love the little girl, regardless of what she does. If you're not teaching your children that you'll love them unconditionally, whether they're good or bad, then this isn't the book for you. And, yes, this book is about another culture--which is what makes it such an invaluable addition to a child's library. The young children I've known have not found the foreign concepts obstacles to understanding what the book is about: love is a universal concept. Your children will learn according to what you expose them to, particularly in the preschool years, when they are constantly expanding their vocabularies and knowledge of the world. To presume that this book (and others like it) will be over children's heads simply because the world is not one with which they are already familiar is to seriously understimate their intelligence! Understanding other cultures lays the groundwork for understanding and appreciating other people, whether they are like you or not--a skill I hope all parents would like to impart to their children.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful pictures, wonderful message September 16, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Board book|Amazon Verified Purchase

I discovered this book at a friend's house. Even thought they had the book for only a few weeks, their five-year old had requested it so often, she already had the entire thing memorized!

The pictures are absolutely beautiful, with wonderful details, and the text brought tears to my eyes. It is a wonderful, honest, reassuring discussion between a mother and child... that even though what the child does may, on occassion, make a parent angry, sad, or frightened, they will always be loved.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars My daughter and I love this book. November 6, 1999

By Toby ([e-mail])

Format:Board book

Reading and re-reading this book with my daughter is one of the most wonderful memories I have of her toddler years. The beautiful artwork coupled with the simple, though satisfying, writing was almost bewitching to us. Years later, my daughter still quotes the book, and it makes me want to cry. This book is a great gift for any mother having a baby.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful for early reading skills September 11, 2000

By Katherine H.

Format:Hardcover

This book is a favorite! My daughter (now five) loves to hear it over and over again. Since all the words are spoken dialog, I read the mother's lines and she says the daughter's lines. When she was younger, she merely recited the words from memory. Now that she is starting to read, I point to the words as she says them and she looks at the words, too. She is starting to recognize words from the book when she sees them elsewhere.

I also use the story to reinforce my own unconditional love for her. When she is doing something purposefully naughty, I'll say, "Katie, are you putting lemmings in my mukluks?" This usually generates a big grin as she realizes she is being just as silly as the little girl in the story - and that I love her just as much as the mommy in the story!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Child/Parent Bond is a Privilege March 11, 2002

By Leticia Araujo Perez

Format:Board book

Yes, this book deals with a mother and her young daughter, but as the mother of two sons, ages 3 and 5, my boys are mesmerized with the beauty of the simplicity, tenderness, and love displayed through the beautiful illustrations and endearing but simple, child-friendly words...thumbs up to both this empathetic author and her talented illustrator!