I Want My Mother (Joshua & Prudence Books) [Hardcover]

Alona Frankel (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 22, 2000 | Age Level: 2 and up | Series: Joshua & Prudence Books

Join Joshua & Prudence, the adorable characters from the best-selling Once Upon a Potty books, in a new series of charming adventures.

Joshua's mother is away.  All kinds of animals offer to mother him, but Joshua wants his own wonderful, one and only mother.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-A young boy's mother leaves and he's sad. He loves her and wants her back. Instead, animals arrive, a new species on each page, each one a mother with a baby in tow. These creatures represent his mother's different traits: the dog is loyal, the lion is brave, the deer is quick, etc. Still, the child repeats, "I want MY mother." Finally she arrives, the full embodiment of all 10 traits, and the boy nestles in her arms. This book is repetitive to a fault. The stilted, predictable text reads exactly the same on each page; only the animal and its trait change. Although the beginning of a joke starts each page, "'Knock, knock.' 'Who's there?,'" the book's energy remains humorless and, ultimately, emotionless. The batiklike art has an old-fashioned feel. Simplified characters are outlined in white with different shades of solid muted colors used to define the created space. Unfortunately, the choice of a flat, pictureless background compounds the problems created in the text-every page is the same, with no detail, no action, simply solid pale pink. Most readers will be hard-pressed to endure the dull, lifeless text. For a book that plucks at a child's concern about finding a lost mother, stick with P. D. Eastman's classic, Are You My Mother? (Random, 1960).
Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Alona Frankel is the author and illustrator of over thirty titles for children, including the well-known Once Upon a Potty titles. Ms. Frankel's work has earned her a place on the Honor List of the International Board on Books for Young Children, several Parents Choice awards, and many additional honors and awards. She lives in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 2 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: HarperFestival (March 22, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 069401379X
• ISBN-13: 978-0694013791
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 7.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #593,265 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read for little ones, April 10, 2000

By 

E. Cochran (Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I Want My Mother (Joshua & Prudence Books) (Hardcover)

I read this book in preperation for a presentation that I had to give on changing families. Based on the cognitive level of preschoolers, it was the best book that I read for children dealing with Mommy being away, even for just a little bit. Children love animals and the book gets to the point without doing alot of explaining. The most important message is the clearest, that there is no one like Mommy and she always comes back. Oh, and the kids I tested it on loved this book too.