5 Book and Activity Pairings for Mother’s Day

Hats off to You!, by Karen Beaumont and LeUyen Pham…and a Tea Party
In this appealing rhyming book, four friends, Emily, Ashley, Kaitlyn and Claire, are playing dress up in the attic while their mothers are downstairs. They decide they need fabulous hats to match their outfits, and so head off to a hat shop. At first it seems like the girls are enjoying fashion for fashion’s sake, but at the end they concoct a surprise—a tea party in appreciation of their mothers called a “Mother-Daughter La-Tea-Da.”

Brobarians, by Lindsay Ward…and a Visit to a Ninja Warrior or Parkour Gym
In her author’s note, Lindsay Ward confesses that she wrote this hilarious book after staying up late one night watching Conan the Barbarian. The result is the story of a pair of warrior brothers who get into a fight over who is responsible for a broken cookie jar. Iggy the Brobarian and Otto the Brobarian duke it out in the backyard in heroic fashion, clashing like two titans, mounted on their steeds—a saber tooth tiger and a unicorn—until the formidable Mamabarian intervenes. It’s clear that any mom raising her own pair of brobarians needs gladiator training, so treat her to a session at a Ninja Warrior or parkour gym.

Hotel Bruce, by Ryan T. Higgins…and a Night Off at a Luxury Hotel
In Mother Bruce, Bruce, a grumpy, egg-loving bear was about to eat four goose eggs when they hatched and the goslings bonded to him. Bruce became their unlikely mother. In this sequel, like any attentive mother, Bruce migrates south with his geese in the winter, joining them in the party atmosphere of Miami when he really feels like hibernating. One spring Bruce returns home from migration, tired and grumpy, “to find that mice had moved in and turned his house into a busy woodland hotel.” The mice invite a moose, a rabbit, turtles, and even elephants to stay at the inn, trashing the place until Bruce is finally fed up. Moms will identify with this grouchy bear who feels like his obligations never end. After she reads this book, treat Mom to a night off at a luxury hotel—alone! Tell her she can order all the room service she wants and put her feet up for a while.

The Curious Garden, by Peter Brown…and a Trip to a Botanic Garden
In The Curious Garden, a boy named Liam finds a few plants struggling up through the tracks of an abandoned elevated railway in his dilapidated neighborhood, and decides to care for them. Through trial and error, he discovers the best way to care for these plants and develops a green thumb. The garden becomes so healthy that Liam notices it “growing restless. It wanted to explore.” Eventually his garden spreads throughout the town, reinvigorating this formerly woebegone place and inspiring new gardeners throughout the city. Mother’s Day offers a chance to celebrate all that spring has to offer, including blooming, fragrant flowers, and a beautiful walk outside, so read this book with Mom and then head to a local botanic garden for inspiration.

Charlotte the Scientist is Squished, by Camille Andros and Brianne Farley…and a Visit to the Planetarium or Science Museum
Charlotte is a rabbit who abides by the scientific method, and has all the right equipment to begin her experiments—including protective goggles, a lab coat and a magnifying glass. But her many brothers and sisters leave her too squished for experimentation. She decides to apply the scientific method to coming up with a solution. This is a great book for moms who love science—and you can treat them to a day out at the science museum or planetarium to go with it.