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Nina LaCour
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Mama and Mommy and Me in the Middle Hardcover – Picture Book, March 29, 2022

by Nina LaCour (Author), Kaylani Juanita (Illustrator)
4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 68 ratings
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A little girl stays home with Mama when Mommy goes off on a work trip in this tender, inviting story that will resonate with every child who has missed a parent.

For one little girl, there’s no place she’d rather be than sitting between Mama and Mommy. So when Mommy goes away on a work trip, it’s tricky to find a good place at the table. As the days go by, Mama brings her to the library, they watch movies, and all of them talk on the phone, but she still misses Mommy as deep as the ocean and as high as an astronaut up in the stars. As they pass by a beautiful garden, the girl gets an idea . . . but when Mommy finally comes home, it takes a minute to shake off the empty feeling she felt all week before leaning in for a kiss. Michael L. Printz Award winner Nina LaCour thoughtfully renders a familiar, touching story of a child who misses a parent, illustrated by Kaylani Juanita, whose distinctive style brings charm and playfulness to this delightful family of three.
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  1. Reading age
    3 - 7 years
  2. Print length
    32 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    Preschool - 2
  5. Dimensions
    9.5 x 0.38 x 11 inches
  6. Publisher
    Candlewick
  7. Publication date
    March 29, 2022
  8. ISBN-10
    1536211516
  9. ISBN-13
    978-1536211511
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From the Publisher

happiness; uncertainty; family; love; absent parent; lgbt books; diversity; reunion
happiness; uncertainty; family; love; absent parent; lgbt books; diversity; reunion

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

K-Gr 3—In LaCour's debut picture book, a young girl wakes up on a Monday morning and starts her day like any other, with one difference. After breakfast, one of her mothers leaves on a work trip that will last the whole week. It's a disorienting experience for the girl. She can't find the right place to sit at the table, she forgets she doesn't need to buy blueberries, and most of all, she just plain misses her. On Friday, the girl comes up with a plan to welcome Mommy home, and she needs Mama's help. But when Mommy gets home on Sunday, the young girl is surprised to find out that even in the aftermath, she's still sad about Mommy being gone for the whole week. With time, she's able to accept a hug from her Mama and Mommy, content in her place back in the middle. Juanita's distinct style is unique and adds a touch of whimsy to this story that deals with big feelings. The pages are filled with muted yet warm colors that really explore feelings of love and (temporary) loss. The childlike voice seems authentic to the main character. The narrator has warm brown skin, as does Mommy, while Mama has lighter skin and purple hair. VERDICT This story lends itself well to conversations about feelings, boundaries, and social-emotional learning; the sweet, inclusive story will resonate with children who are missing a loved one.—Sarah West

Review

Mama and Mommy and Me in the Middlereflects on all the ways a child can miss a family member when they are gone, while showing the happy life this family shares when they are together. It's a lovely pick for children with same-sex parents that will also resonate for any kid missing a loved one who is away from home.
—Entertainment Weekly

A joyful and inclusive book that's just what’s needed for children whose parents have to be away for a period.
—Booklist (starred review)

LaCour gives readers a closely observed portrait of two moms who nurture their child through challenges, while Juanita lavishes attention on detail, lushly capturing facial expressions, figures, and flower petals in an unabashed celebration of familial love.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Some families have two moms to celebrate, and this sweet story shows how much our littles miss us when we leave but love when we come back.
—The Everymom

Filled to the brim with love. Juanita’s mixed-media illustrations—a combination of spot art and full-bleed spreads—vividly capture the coziness of the family’s life and the range of emotions the child experiences. . . A tender tale featuring a loving two-mom family that will resonate with any child who has ever missed a loved one.
—Kirkus Reviews

Juanita’s illustrations are packed with small details that will entice and hold young readers’ attention. . . Mama and Mommy and Me in the Middle is a reassuring and inclusive look at what it feels like to be separated from and reunited with a parent.
—BookPage

Juanita’s distinct style is unique and adds a touch of whimsy to this story that deals with big feelings. The pages are filled with muted yet warm colors that really explore feelings of love and (temporary) loss. . . . This story lends itself well to conversations about feelings, boundaries, and social-emotional learning; the sweet, inclusive story will resonate with children who are missing a loved one.
—School Library Journal

Heartwarming. . .Juanita’s distinctive mixed-media illustrations match and reflect LaCour’s writing style, with comforting soft colors, realistic figures and tons of details. . . . LaCour’s representation of a two-mom family in Mama and Mommy and Me in the Middle allows young readers, regardless of the gender of their parents, to relate to this sentimental, delightful story.
—Shelf Awareness

This nod to conflicted feelings flows naturally from charming art and lyrical storytelling. It’s no big deal that the family is pictured as African American and has same-sex parents. Instead, the focus is on learning to navigate everyday emotions.
—The San Francisco Chronicle

Award-winning YA author Nina LaCour makes her picture book debut in this beautiful, LGBTQ+ affirming picture book about a little girl who misses her mommy when she leaves on a work trip. . . . Kaylani Juanita’s sweet, pastel-toned illustrations perfectly capture this cozy and lovely family. This is a perfect book for any family with a parent who travels for work.
—Book Riot

In this LGBTQ book for kids, our main character loves her place between Mama and Mommy, but then Mommy goes on a work trip and she feels a little lost. Nina LaCour and Kaylani Juanita explore the love of family and how emotional it can be when reuniting.
—Tinybeans

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Candlewick (March 29, 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 32 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1536211516
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1536211511
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 3 - 7 years
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ Preschool - 2
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.5 x 0.38 x 11 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 68 ratings

About the author

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Nina LaCour

Nina LaCour

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Nina LaCour is the bestselling and Michael L. Printz Award-winning author of Yerba Buena, Mama and Mommy and Me in the Middle, We Are Okay, Watch Over Me, Hold Still, The Disenchantments, and Everything Leads to You. She is also the co-author of You Know Me Well, a novel written in collaboration with David Levithan, and a contributor to numerous anthologies, including Summer Days and Summer Nights, edited by Stephanie Perkins.

She lives in San Francisco.

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Customer reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars
68 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers praise the book's illustrations and find the story engaging. They say it effectively captures a child's feelings at a young age and helped their toddler process her emotions about going away for two days.

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Visual qualityBook loveStory quality
6 customers mention "Visual quality"6 positive0 negative

Customers like the illustrations.

"...From the expressions of the characters to just the overall use of color and design: have you noticed the cover?..." Read more

"...Lovely book that is beautifully illustrated." Read more

"...Also the illustrations are beautiful and detailed, and I love that it has a queer family that looks like us/our friends." Read more

"...The illustrations are beautiful too." Read more

5 customers mention "Book love"5 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book.

"...Lovely book that is beautifully illustrated." Read more

"This book is just wonderful! I couldn’t believe I found a book that was exactly what I was looking for...." Read more

"I love everything about this book. The story, the messages, the artwork. Fantastic!" Read more

"Loved this book!..." Read more

5 customers mention "Story quality"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the story engaging and effective at capturing complex feelings in young children. They say it helps toddlers process their emotions about their parent going away for a short period.

"...Overall this story hit home for me and I hope you all track it down to read and cherish as soon as possible!" Read more

"...she appreciates it at a very young age, it also very effectively captures the complex feelings that a child experiences when they miss someone they..." Read more

"This book really helped my toddler process her feelings about me going away for 2 days...." Read more

"A great story about a little girl missing her Mom while she’s traveling for work. She works through her feelings with the help of her other mom...." Read more

Loved this book!
5 out of 5 stars
Loved this book!
Mama and Mommy and Me in the Middle is about a little girl who missed her Mommy while she is away for work. Everything is the same that week yet it all seems different when Mommy is away.This story just warmed my heart. For quite a few years my daughter (and then later my son) would have to say goodbye to their Dad for days or a week at a time. The missing would be “as deep as a scuba diver down in the ocean and as high as an astronaut up in the stars”. To quote the story itself. I had to smile when it mentioned the daughter hugging the phone -a practice that my children still do today ❤️The emotional honesty of this story is brought alive by illustrator Kaylani Juanita who did a beautiful job. From the expressions of the characters to just the overall use of color and design: have you noticed the cover? Mama is in blue with blueberries, Mommy is in red with strawberries and their daughter is in purple with a fruit mix on her dress! Overall this story hit home for me and I hope you all track it down to read and cherish as soon as possible!
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Sara R
    5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this book!
    Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Mama and Mommy and Me in the Middle is about a little girl who missed her Mommy while she is away for work. Everything is the same that week yet it all seems different when Mommy is away.
    This story just warmed my heart. For quite a few years my daughter (and then later my son) would have to say goodbye to their Dad for days or a week at a time. The missing would be “as deep as a scuba diver down in the ocean and as high as an astronaut up in the stars”. To quote the story itself. I had to smile when it mentioned the daughter hugging the phone -a practice that my children still do today ❤️
    The emotional honesty of this story is brought alive by illustrator Kaylani Juanita who did a beautiful job. From the expressions of the characters to just the overall use of color and design: have you noticed the cover? Mama is in blue with blueberries, Mommy is in red with strawberries and their daughter is in purple with a fruit mix on her dress! Overall this story hit home for me and I hope you all track it down to read and cherish as soon as possible!
    Customer image
    Sara R
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Loved this book!

    Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2022
    Mama and Mommy and Me in the Middle is about a little girl who missed her Mommy while she is away for work. Everything is the same that week yet it all seems different when Mommy is away.
    This story just warmed my heart. For quite a few years my daughter (and then later my son) would have to say goodbye to their Dad for days or a week at a time. The missing would be “as deep as a scuba diver down in the ocean and as high as an astronaut up in the stars”. To quote the story itself. I had to smile when it mentioned the daughter hugging the phone -a practice that my children still do today ❤️
    The emotional honesty of this story is brought alive by illustrator Kaylani Juanita who did a beautiful job. From the expressions of the characters to just the overall use of color and design: have you noticed the cover? Mama is in blue with blueberries, Mommy is in red with strawberries and their daughter is in purple with a fruit mix on her dress! Overall this story hit home for me and I hope you all track it down to read and cherish as soon as possible!
    Images in this review
    Customer imageCustomer imageCustomer imageCustomer image
    One person found this helpful
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  • C. Osborne
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great story for parent(s) who travel for work!
    Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    This is one of my toddler’s favorite bedtime stories and while she appreciates it at a very young age, it also very effectively captures the complex feelings that a child experiences when they miss someone they love. Lovely book that is beautifully illustrated.
    3 people found this helpful
    Helpful
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  • Carissa
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, sweet book!
    Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    This book really helped my toddler process her feelings about me going away for 2 days. Also the illustrations are beautiful and detailed, and I love that it has a queer family that looks like us/our friends.
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Aleigha C.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Love this book!
    Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    This book is just wonderful! I couldn’t believe I found a book that was exactly what I was looking for. My wife travels for work and my daughter has a hard time when she’s away. The illustrations are beautiful too.
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • smpenn
    5.0 out of 5 stars Adorable story
    Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    A great story about a little girl missing her Mom while she’s traveling for work. She works through her feelings with the help of her other mom. Gorgeous illustrations as well.
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Love
    Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I love everything about this book. The story, the messages, the artwork. Fantastic!
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
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  • Sophia Adeleye de la Fuente
    5.0 out of 5 stars Our family adores this book
    Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    This was the perfect book for our 3 year old daughter, who is often frustrated by the lack of our family's representation in books. It was also perfect for a trip we had coming up! Please make this into a series!
    Helpful
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  • Bella
    5.0 out of 5 stars Teacher’s Favorite!
    Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2024
    As a preschool teacher I absolutely love this book, as do my students. Beautiful illustrations and such a sweet story- from the queer representation and diverse perspectives of the classmates, to the heartwarming moment at the end when the little girl’s mothers affirm her bodily autonomy when she doesn’t want a kiss. Possibly my favorite high quality storybook. There’s so much children can get from this story, from my 2-3 year old students learning their days of the week and about different kinds of families, to grade school kiddos who may have similar experiences of far away loved ones.
    Helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Sophie P.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Treasured beautiful book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 21, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    My wife and Iove reading this with our daughter 4

    Highly recommended and such beautiful illustrations too
    Report