Where's Our Mama? (Picture Puffins) (Paperback)

~ (Author)

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.

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.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (November 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140555552
• ISBN-13: 978-0140555554
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #281,689 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A gorgeous book, May 1, 2002

By A Customer

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.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A terrific book for your preschooler, or early reader, May 6, 1999

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.

5.0 out of 5 stars Where's Our Mama?, December 11, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Where's Our Mama? (Hardcover)

This is a story about two children who's mother leaves them to find her hat. When she does not return they call for a cop who shows them all different kinds of women who are not their mother. When they finally find her they are relieved.