Mama Do You Love Me? - Barbara M. Joosse > Reviews (1)

'Mama, Do You Love Me?' is a children's story about the relationship between an Inuit mother and daughter and consequentially, about mother daughter relationships in general. As soon as I saw it I thought it would be a lovely story to read with my daughter, even though she was probably too young for it at the time. The suggested reading level on Amazon is given as both baby-preschool and 4-8. I would say it's a good one from toddler-hood on.

The cover picture shows mother and daughter in their umiak, which is a kind of boat, the name of which I discovered means 'woman's boat,' as opposed to kayak, which means 'man's boat'. On the inside page is a picture of 'Mama' sewing a doll for her daughter, then on the next page the little girl asks the title question; "Mama Do You Love Me?" "Yes I do, Dear One." is the answer, followed by the question; "How Much?." From here the story goes through various questions and 'what if' scenarios. There are striking answers and corresponding imagery, eg; "more than the raven loves his treasure...more than the whale loves his spout...until the stars turn to fish in the sky." (When my daughter was younger she once told me; "I love you more than the whale loves it's, um....trousers!") The little girl suggests lots of things she could do to test the relationship and her mother's patience, ranging from the mischievous through the irritating and somewhat bizarre such as; putting salmon in Mama's parka (coat), throwing water over their lamp, or turning into a polar bear that chases Mama and makes her cry.

We learn a little about Inuit culture and that some things have different names in other languages, for example the characters eat ptarmigan eggs and wear boots called mukluks, but at it's basic level this book is about reassuring a child that no matter what happens they will always be loved. Mama is shown going through various emotions including sad, worried, scared and angry, but the line 'But still, I would love you', is repeated several times and at the end of the story she tells her daughter; "I will love you, forever and for always, because you are my Dear One."

The ups and downs in the characters emotions show children how their actions affect other people's feelings. It's a nice way to show children that although their mother may sometimes be angry with them or sad, it doesn't alter the fact that she loves them. I think it's a good one for a parent to read with their child if they have been having a difficult time, as it could be quite reassuring for the child. My little one always wants a cuddle after we've read this together.

I've heard that this book has been criticised for giving children the message that bad behaviour is acceptable, but I disagree. Having unconditional love for a child does not mean letting them get away with bad behaviour, and the behaviour in the book is shown to have consequences. I don't know what the critics would suggest as a better alternative; "If you're naughty I won't love you anymore," perhaps?

I know which approach I think is better.

The pictures are are vibrant and colourful with some lovely detail and have a sense of fun about them. My daughter particularly likes the big flowery dresses the characters wear, (I don't know where she gets her dress sense from).

My daughter likes this book a lot. She has owned it for a couple of years now and it's still in good condition despite being looked at regularly. The fact that it's quite a compacta board book helps.

From the blurb on the back is a quote from Publishers Weekly which neatly sums it up - "uses a timeless culture to convey a timeless message." I realise this could sound like a sickly sweet and sentimental book, but it is done with a simplicity that makes a mothers love seem like the most natural thing in the world, which of course, it is.

First published in 1991 by the independent San Francisco based publisher Chronicle books, 'Mama, Do You Love Me?' has been a huge success, selling over a million copies in 15 languages and winning The Golden Kite award for picture book illustration. I have also seen "Mama, Do You Love Me" calendars, blocks, a DVD and dolls for sale. Author Barbara M. Joosse and illustrator Barbara Lavallee have since collaborated on, 'Papa, Do You Love Me?', (2005), set in Africa and 'Grandma Calls Me Beautiful', (2008), set in Hawaii.

I bought my copy from my favourite book shop, 'News From Nowhere,' in Liverpool, but it is available new from Amazon for £4.99 or used from £0.01. Further details, (from Amazon); Board book: 24 pages, Publisher: Chronicle Books; Product Dimensions: 15.2 x 12.7 x 2.8 cm.