Mama, Why?

by Karma Wilson, Simon Mendez (Illustrator)

Overview

"When the moon sails high in the arctic sky,
Polar Cub asks, "Mama, why?"

A polar bear cub asks his mother a multitude of "why" questions before he goes to sleep: Why is there a moon up in the sky? Why do we dream? Why are there stars in the sky? And why can't we see the stars during the day? Finally, once his Mama has explained everything to him, Mama ushers her little one off to sleep, explaining that she will sleep too, so she can dream about her dearest cub.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781416942054
Publisher:	Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication date:	03/22/2011
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	10.10(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Karma Wilson is the bestselling author of several picture books, including the Bear Books series; Where Is Home, Little Pip?; and A Dog Named Doug. Karma lives in Montana.

Simon Mendez is an illustrator who takes particular pleasure in rendering images in exquisite detail often with an enchanting ethereal quality. He concentrates on conceiving mood lighting and creating compositions that are dynamic and engaging to draw the eye.

Editorial Reviews

A lullaby featuring a polar bear mother and cub joins the legions of other tales of young ones asking their mothers the familiar—why? "When the moon sails high in the Artic sky, / Polar cub asks, 'Mama, why?' / Mama answers, 'Moon floats up there / to say good night to polar bears. / He glides above to shine sweet dreams / and sends them down on silver beams.'" Mama adds, "When the moon sends dreams of princes and queens, / he turns wondrous stories into dreams." While the sleepy polar cub continues to ask "why" in response to each of his mother's lyrical explanations, the mixed-media illustrations imbue a dreamy quality to the spare text. Amid the misty aura, the bears are almost photographically realistic, especially their fur texture. Mendez sprinkles stars liberally about his spreads, their luster adding to the silvery sheen of the moon against the dark Arctic night, as if channeling Thomas Kinkade. As Mama's explanations grow ever more fanciful, he incorporates fanciful imagery from the standard (pirate ships, royal coaches) to refreshingly original (bears and a trio of seals put together in the night sky). The overall effect is soothing, affectionate, precious and cozy—practically guaranteed to lull little ones to sleep.(Picture book. 3-5)

Kirkus Reviews

A lullaby featuring a polar bear mother and cub joins the legions of other tales of young ones asking their mothers the familiar—why? "When the moon sails high in the Artic sky, / Polar cub asks, 'Mama, why?' / Mama answers, 'Moon floats up there / to say good night to polar bears. / He glides above to shine sweet dreams / and sends them down on silver beams.'" Mama adds, "When the moon sends dreams of princes and queens, / he turns wondrous stories into dreams." While the sleepy polar cub continues to ask "why" in response to each of his mother's lyrical explanations, the mixed-media illustrations imbue a dreamy quality to the spare text. Amid the misty aura, the bears are almost photographically realistic, especially their fur texture. Mendez sprinkles stars liberally about his spreads, their luster adding to the silvery sheen of the moon against the dark Arctic night, as if channeling Thomas Kinkade. As Mama's explanations grow ever more fanciful, he incorporates fanciful imagery from the standard (pirate ships, royal coaches) to refreshingly original (bears and a trio of seals put together in the night sky). The overall effect is soothing, affectionate, precious and cozy—practically guaranteed to lull little ones to sleep.(Picture book. 3-5)

Kirkus Reviews - Kikus Reviews