My Mother's Secret Life [Paperback]

Rebecca Emberley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1998 | Age Level: 3 and up

A young daughter, never dreaming that Mother does anything more than clean the house and take care of her, begins to see things differently.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Emberley (Three Cool Kids) recounts a girl's glittery fantasy of the big top, where the trapeze artist hides a secret identity. The story opens as the narrator, her cat and her dog have just made a royal mess at home. "Holding her head, my mother said, 'Enough. This place looks like a three-ring circus!' " After Mom stomps off to her room, the narrator retaliates by painting the refrigerator. She then takes a nap and dreams about attending an actual three-ring circus. The scene turns nightmarish when the dreamer angers a fellow circus-goer, but calm returns when a masked performer whisks the girl to safety. " 'Mother!' I cried. 'Who else?' said the lady." When the girl wakes, all is forgiven. If the text is disjointed, energy erupts from the dazzling illustrations, rendered in color-saturated, mixed-media collage. Emberley adroitly assembles cut-paper shapes and uses novel props like mesh fabric and tinsel. Metallic surfaces gleam without glaring, shadows peek from between each handcrafted layer, and readers practically feel the textures of fuzzy feathers and plastic beads. This could inspire some cut-and-paste projects for those days when the house seems overtaken by Barnum and Bailey. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2?When the narrator's mother gets fed up with the calamities of everyday life and retreats to her room, her napping daughter dreams herself at a circus. When the child spills her popcorn on a stranger in the crowd, her mother appears on a flying trapeze to rescue her from the man's wrath. This may seem the antithesis of Max's banishment and escape into fantasy in Where the Wild Things Are, but the resolution of constant maternal love is just as reassuring. Emberley's collages, composed of feathers, beads, netting, glitter, and fancy papers provide appropriate color and glitz. Good fun.?Miriam Lang Budin, Mt. Kisco Public Library, NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Little Brown & Co (Juv) Troll; 1st edition (April 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316234966
• ISBN-13: 978-0316234962
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,753,112 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Rebecca Emberley is the author and illustrator of numerous books for children, including a bestselling bi-lingual series. She comes from a family of artists, including her father Ed Emberley, her brother Michael Emberley, and sister in law Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick, all children's book illustrators and her daughter Adrian Emberley and husband Peter Black, both singer-songwriters. Sometimes they work on projects together. With all this creative energy surrounding her, Rebecca is kept very busy. When not creating more books for children she also does some graphic design, dabbles in everything from silk screening to music production, travels, and looks for opportunities to work with her family. She currently lives in Maine with her husband, but will soon be traveling for a while, observing, writing and looking for new and exciting ideas.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fanciful and fun, great for mothers and daughters., June 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: My Mother's Secret Life (Paperback)

Amazing illustrations transport you into a childs imagination where all mothers are heroes. Not the best read aloud for a group, better for a cuddle on the couch. Kids will love the glittering collages and mothers enjoy the sentiment.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars this book is funny and sweet, March 22, 2002

By 

AC "zocoma" (North GA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Mother's Secret Life (Paperback)

I bought this on a whim because it was on sale and it's earned its place on the shelf. It's currently my 4y.o. daughter's favorite bedtime book. great art.

1 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars PRE-SCHOOL TEACHER, January 11, 2000

By 

"yousupersuck" (Washington, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Mother's Secret Life (Paperback)

The illustrations are unique and quit original there is a little poem in the beginning of the book A dedication to her cat after reading it I thought the book would flow in that context and it didn't overall a good book.