★ 05/02/2022
In a book organized into the long days of a parent’s absence, Monday sees its preschool-age, brown-skinned child narrator sharing a pancake breakfast with Mama and Mommy before Mommy leaves on a business trip. After Tuesday brings feelings of missing, Wednesday offers a phone call with Mommy (“My loves! she says. It’s you!”). The family’s longing is shown in an image of two phones close together; Mommy reaches out of one, the child reaches out of the other. Resentment lingers when the parent returns at last, but Mommy is there for it, acknowledging her child’s emotions, naming them, and enfolding them in safety. 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. Mama presents as white; Mommy, who is Black, and the child narrator have patches that hint at vitiligo. Ages 3–7. (Mar.)
Mama and Mommy and Me in the Middle reflects 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
04/01/2022
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
2021-12-27
A child misses their Mommy when she goes away for a few days.
On Monday, when “the sun is still hiding and the moon is still bright,” Mommy, a Black woman, wakes her young daughter with a kiss on the cheek. Like “always,” Mama, a White woman with purple hair, gets the plates, the child gets the silverware, and Mommy cooks pancakes. But, unlike most days, Mommy leaves for a work trip to a “faraway place,” to return on Sunday. After her departure, many things throw off the child’s routine and elicit big feelings. At the sidewalk cafe, there are two cups instead of the usual three. At the store, the child picks up “blueberries for Mommy” before remembering she isn’t home. The girl grows more and more despondent, eventually succumbing to tears; but after a snuggle from Mama, things begin to look up when the child gets an idea for how to welcome Mommy home. YA author LaCour’s picture-book debut, narrated from the child’s first-person perspective, is 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. Visual motifs throughout—such as three raccoons crossing the street and three chairs at the cafe—subtly remind readers of Mommy’s absence. Mama has tattoos, and Mommy and the girl both have natural hair and skin patches that suggest vitiligo. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A tender tale featuring a loving two-mom family that will resonate with any child who has ever missed a loved one. (Picture book. 3-7)