Mama Hug

Starred review from November 15, 2024
Mama and baby--best friends. A brown-skinned mother with green-rimmed glasses gazes lovingly at a tan-skinned little one lying in a crib and reaching up to her. So begins a quietly joyful celebration of a day in the life of this pair, narrated in rhyming couplets: "Mama cuddle / Mama swing // Mama dance / Mama sing." From bedroom to living room and out to a grassy yard, their day involves gentle play, Mama's comforting of her child after a fall, plenty of tickles, routines such as mealtime and bathtime, and so much more. These two are never far apart, and their rounded figures bend tenderly toward one another; a particularly sweet spread depicts the baby lying on Mama's chest ("Mama pillow on a Mama bed"). Lewis' cheery, earth-toned palette of pinks, oranges, browns, and greens radiates the warmth exuded by the contented pair, subtly transitioning to the deep blues and purples of sunset when it's time for bed. Straub's spare yet meticulously written text effectively captures each loving moment and leaves room for the illustrations to tell their own, complementary story through details such as a patch of bright sunflowers and a special constellation on the last page. Readers will savor smaller background details as well: a picture of a banana hanging on the wall, stacks of alphabet blocks, and a green toy dinosaur. Simply, gracefully perfect.(Picture book. 1-4)

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October 7, 2024
The arc of a mother and child’s day unfolds in concise, rockaby rhymes and warm-hued, colorblock-like art in this cozy work for youngest readers. Digital illustrations by Lewis (the Prince & Knight Series) show the duo alone, in and around their home, and always within a few feet of each other—starting with a pajamaed cuddle and ending with tuck-in time. “Mama tickle// Mama toes,” writes Straub (Gaga Mistake Day) on one spread as the brown-skinned parent tickles the pale-skinned baby’s tummy and the two compare their feet in a mirror. Then it’s outside to a field of towering sunflowers as Mama lifts the child into the air and the rhyme wraps up: “Mama’s love grows and grows.” While adults might marvel at the parent’s boundless energy across many wide-awake hours (“Mama ladder// On a Mama wall”), children will see unconditional love pure and simple (“Mama kisses when Baby falls”). And no one should be surprised when bedtime reveals “Mama dreams// in Baby’s head”—even the stars form a snuggling mother-and-child constellation. Ages up to 3. Author’s agent: Janine Kamouh and Claudia Ballard, William Morris Endeavor. Illustrator’s agent: Edward Maxwell, Transatlantic Literary.