Mama Hug

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.