Momma, Where Are You From? [Hardcover]

Marie Bradby (Author), Chris Soentpiet (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

"In this lyrical picture book, an African American mother tells her young daughter about growing up in the rural South in a time long ago.... Bradby tells of the good times with and love in every word, while Soentpiet bathes the remembered scenes in a golden light." - Kirkus Reviews

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

As nostalgic and sentimental as an old radio show, this lyrical picture book is chock full of family reminiscences. A child asks, "Momma, where are you from?" and the mother answers with a string of poetic images: "I'm from Monday mornings, washing loads of clothes in the wringer washer." Bradby lovingly describes the fixtures of the woman's childhood: the rag man, fish man and ice man who all traveled to her neck of the woods, "where the edge of town met the countryside; where the city sidewalk ended and chickens ran through yards." Soentpiet carries through the mood of a cozy household and a neighborhood "as close as a knit sweater" with sunny spreads of families playing hide-and-seek under a sheltering tree and friends gathering for barbecues at twilight; the close-up portraits convey a radiant joy. While the book does not ignore the inequalities of the mother's growing-up years (she wonders "why Miss Mary cleaned someone else's house and why my brothers and sister didn't go to the school right up the street"), the emphasis is upon the positive--so much so that the girl asks, "Momma, can I go there?" Her mother replies, "Yes. We can travel through roads in my memory." This tour through memory lane may well inspire readers to make a similar journey with their own parents. Ages 4-7. (Mar.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-In answer to her daughter's question, "Momma, where are you from?," a woman answers indirectly by poetically evoking her own happily remembered childhood: "I'm from Monday mornings, washing loads of clothes in the wringer washer-." Soentpiet's bold, realistic watercolors depict small-town African-American life in what appears to be the '40s or '50s. They match the mother's strong recollections of greeting the neighbors, ice-man, or fish-man; helping out with ironing and food preparation; and gathering in the evening for fish fries and dancing to old Duke Ellington and Count Basie records. However, these memories also include the school bus taking her brothers and sisters way across town to schools "where all the children were brown-some light, some dark, some in-between," and living just past where the sidewalk ended. Glowing in her mother's smile, the little girl asks if she can go there and is assured that they can travel in memories any time. While the time period of the mother's childhood is unspecified but clearly not contemporary, the family's love is always in evidence. In the illustrations, people's faces radiate light and joy, and the interiors and clothing are rendered with loving detail. This one's a keeper.
Susan Hepler, Burgundy Farm Country Day School, Alexandria, VA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Orchard (March 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0531301052
• ISBN-13: 978-0531301050
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #501,574 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tenderness and strength in one simple story, March 25, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Momma, Where Are You From? (Hardcover)

Marie Bradby's poetic language is the perfect medium for the mother's message of pride and nostalgia as she tells her curious child about life in the segregated South. Despite her happy memories of close family, special treats from her mother, and working with her sister, the mother (as a child) is aware of segregation and bothered by it in ways that a child would be. The lovely artwork perfectly complements the words, casting an almost surrealistic glow over the "memory" passages while a sharper, modern light illuminates the here and now. Highly recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars (...), December 7, 2001

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Momma, Where Are You From? (Hardcover)

I give this book five stars because it's a good book and I Like how Chris Soentpiet did an excellent job on his Illustrations.
He did a good job because he took his time to Illustrate people
and he did a good job. Chris Soentpiet is the best Illustrator
in town. My Favorite part in Momma Where Are You From is when
she helps her mom put the food on the table for dinner. I like the Illustrations because he did a wonderful job and I wish I
could buy one of his books.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jessica from Ashley River Creative Art El., December 4, 2001

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Momma, Where Are You From? (Hardcover)

Momma Where Are You From reminded me of when I ask my mom and dad where they are from. This book was good. I mean very good. This book was One Of The Best. The illustrations brought the book to life. I love this book because it was EXCELLENT!
I will give this book 5 stars!