A Caldecott Honor medalist offers a charming and stylish evocation of Paris as a helpful gendarme aids two children who have become separated from their mother. Reprint. SLJ. K. H.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Two children lead a gendarme on a hunt for their mother with "delightfully unlikely" results, said PW, praising the 1920s Paris setting established by Goode's "finely detailed period art." Ages 3-7.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2-- The original Gare d'Orsay Train Station in Paris circa 1920 is the setting for this winning tribute to the enduring belief that one's own mother is the best in the world. Mama has her hands full with the baby in her arms and two preschoolers in tow when a gust of wind from an incoming train blows her hat away. "Stay right here while I find it," she cautions the children. When they become separated, a helpful gendarme leads them throughout Paris on a search for their mother. "Is this your mama?," he says as they arrive at the opera. "Oh no, sir. Our mama is very slim. But Mama cooks the best food in the world." And so the dialogue is repeated as they reject the cook, teacher, etc.--until the oldest child remembers her mother's original instructions and they are joyfully reunited back at the station. Clever viewers will enjoy spotting the mother on her own search for the children. Goode has crafted a book that is both elegant and childlike. The full-color art evokes a glamorous, multiethnic Parisian milieu; marbleized endpapers and a classic border contribute to the handsome design. The characters' expressive features conveying the fear and bewilderment of separation, the gendarme's humorous attempts at matchmaking, and the appealing repetitive rhythm of the simple text will also make this an inviting choice for story hours. --Caroline Ward, Nassau Library System, Uniondale, NY
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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More About the Author
Diane Goode was born in Brooklyn, New York into a French and Italian family. She has a BA in Fine Arts from Queens College. She studied at Les Beaux Arts in Aix-en-Provence, has a High School teaching degree from NYC and taught book illustration at UCLA.
Diane Goode's list of picture 50 picture books include, 'When I Was Young In The Mountains', for which she won the Caldecott Honor. She is also the recipient of numerous awards including two Platinum Oppenheim Toy Awards, and Parents' Choice Awards.
Her most recent publications are: CINDERELLA SMITH, by Stephanie Barden, LOUISE THE BIG CHEESE series, by Elise Primavera and MY MOM IS TRYING TO RUIN MY LIFE and BUT I WANTED A BABY BROTHER, both by Kate Feiffer (A Paula wiseman Book, Simon& Schuster) 2008.
A member of the Society of Illustrators, she chaired the 2007 Original Art Show in Manhattan.
Diane Goode's list of picture 50 picture books include, 'When I Was Young In The Mountains', for which she won the Caldecott Honor. She is also the recipient of numerous awards including two Platinum Oppenheim Toy Awards, and Parents' Choice Awards.
Her most recent publications are: CINDERELLA SMITH, by Stephanie Barden, LOUISE THE BIG CHEESE series, by Elise Primavera and MY MOM IS TRYING TO RUIN MY LIFE and BUT I WANTED A BABY BROTHER, both by Kate Feiffer (A Paula wiseman Book, Simon& Schuster) 2008.
A member of the Society of Illustrators, she chaired the 2007 Original Art Show in Manhattan.
Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A gorgeous book,
By A Customer
This review is from: Where's Our Mama? (Picture Puffins) (Paperback)
I used to get this book out of the library EVERY WEEK about 6 years ago in Australia. My two boys then 2 1/2 and 8 months LOVED this book (especially the two year old). We moved away from that library and I have never been able to track the book down, until I bought Tiger Trouble (by Diane Goode) and recognised the illustrations. The book we had also had the story in French at the bottom of the page, and I would read that to them too. It is a delightful story that kids seem to instantly identify with. They are so happy and relieved at the end when the children find their mother and they love looking for her in all the pictures. It is such a shame that this book is out of print as it should be a classic! I'm trying to get it from amazon.co.uk as well, as they may be able to find me the one with the French in it too. If I get two, it won't matter as I know it would make a wonderful gift to any child.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A terrific book for your preschooler, or early reader,
By A Customer
This review is from: Where's Our Mama? (Hardcover)
My family loves this book about lost children and a friendly policeman who search for their mama. It works on several levels: 1.) Language repetition for the child -( but not boring for the adult.) 2.) Hide and seek visual interest as we see mama looking for her children who are looking for her. 3.) Logic as the policeman follows the children's clues about their mama. 4.) Public safety as a positive presentation of whom to trust for help when lost. 5.) Plus it all starts in a lovely French railroad station for children who love trains. Amazingly, I have not been able to order this book through retail stores. (I got it from the library). Perhaps if more people discover this delightful read, the publishers will make it available again.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Delightful idea!,
This review is from: Where's Our Mama? (Picture Puffins) (Paperback)
I could appreciate what was attempted here. When two children are separated from their mother at a train station, a gendarme helps them find her. The children try to describe characteristics of their mother (i.e. brave, beautiful, lovely voice, fantastic cook, etc.) instead of what she actually *looks* like, which leads the gendarme to all sorts of places other than the train station, looking for women that match these characteristics (i.e. lion tamer, opera singer, etc). It's a cute idea, and a great way to introduce children to different job types, etc., (though, I could be a little afraid that some of it could be taken the wrong way to some who hold those careers).There really wasn't a whole lot else to the story, but the illustrations were fun and whimsical! And visual children (like I was... am) will enjoy the multitude of illustrations!
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