One More Time, Mama [Hardcover]

Sue Alexander (Author), David Soman (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1999 | Age Level: 3 and up

A mother remembers the fireflies, afternoon rain, squirrels, geese, and other aspects of nature that she watched while waiting for her child to be born.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"Tell me some more about waiting, Mama. Tell me again," comes the recurring plea from the young protagonist of Alexander's (Nadia the Willful) labored story. A mother recounts, at her daughter's urgings, the months of waiting for her baby's birth, focusing on the changes in the seasons (e.g., "I was waiting when the new-hatched goslings and ducklings waddled down the path and around the pond and the wild violets began to bloom on the rise beyond"). Readers may have less patience than this child who eagerly listens to Mama's soporific descriptions of weather and animal activity from winter through autumn, when her infant is finally born. Soman's (When I Am Old with You) softly focused, sometimes hazy watercolors faithfully document the seasonal changes and capture the affection between mother and child, but youngsters are more likely to crave details about the impending newborn than the environmental sounds and sights the expectant mother witnesses. Ages 3-5. (Sept.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2-Although a little girl has heard the story many times of how her mother eagerly anticipated her birth, she begs to hear it again and again. Both words and pictures reveal the close relationship between the two, and the anticipation of the child's birth is tied completely to that of the life cycle in nature. The expectant mother's waiting parallels both the changing of the seasons from winter through late fall and the natural phenomena that accompany them. The author's tone is soothing and her words are well chosen, even poetic at times, when describing such wonders as the "frozen dewdrop lace" on the wintry raspberry bushes or the first wild violets of spring beginning to "bloom on the rise beyond." The realistic watercolor paintings are a perfect complement to both the simple, yet evocative language and the mood of the story. Their rich colors and carefully drawn details contribute to the clarity of the text. Similar in theme but geared to an older audience than Barbara Joosse's Mama, Do You Love Me? (Chronicle, 1991), this is a warm, reassuring tale for adults and children to snuggle up with and share.
Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, LaSalle Academy, Providence, RI
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Corporation; First Edition edition (September 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761450513
• ISBN-13: 978-0761450511
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #583,228 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Slow, but very warm and affectionate, February 23, 2004

By 

M "autumnroses" (COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: One More Time, Mama (Hardcover)

This book moves slowly along and is sometimes a labor, but my daughters never stirred nor lost interest. I would have to say that Alexander captured so perfectly the beauty and slow moving passage of time of pregnancy. The warmth and affection between mother and daughter was clearly evident and the illustrations kept my girls searching each page. After reading a library copy before naptime, I immediately went online and ordered a copy for our family's library.