My Mommy Medicine

by Edwidge Danticat, Shannon Wright (Illustrator)

Overview

My Mommy Medicine is a picture book about the comfort and love a mama offers when her child isn't feeling well, from renowned author Edwidge Danticat.

Whenever I am sick,
Or just feel kind of gloomy or sad,
I can always count on my Mommy Medicine.

When a child wakes up feeling sick, she is treated to a good dose of Mommy Medicine. Her remedy includes a yummy cup of hot chocolate; a cozy, bubble-filled bath time; and unlimited snuggles and cuddles. Mommy Medicine can heal all woes and make any day the BEST day!

Award-winning memoirist Edwidge Danticat's rich and lyrical text envelops the reader in the security of a mother's love, and debut artist Shannon Wright's vibrant art infuses the story with even more warmth.

A Parent's Choice Recommended Award Winner 2019
2020 Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Books of the Year List

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250140913
Publisher:	Roaring Brook Press
Publication date:	02/26/2019
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	378,721
Product dimensions:	10.20(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Edwidge Danticat was born in Haiti and came to the United States at age twelve. Her first novel was Breath, Eyes, Memory, followed by National Book Award Finalist Krik? Krak! She is a 2009 MacArthur Fellow. Her books for young readers include Eight Days: A Story of Haiti, Mama's Nightingale, and her young adult novel Untwine. She lives in Miami.

Shannon Wright is an illustrator and cartoonist in Richmond, Virginia. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Time magazine, Mother Jones, Google, and KaBOOM! Studios. Shannon co-teaches a comics course at Virginia Commonwealth University. My Mommy Medicine is her first picture book.

Editorial Reviews

10/22/2018
The narrator, a brown-skinned girl, defines “Mommy Medicine” as a special brand of TLC—a combination of pampering and playfulness that her mother offers “whenever I am sick or just feel kind of gloomy or sad.” Mommy’s indomitable energy and toolkit of healing techniques are something to behold: she can plant “a kiss so loud it reminds me of a French horn at Mardi Gras,” deliver a rousing medley, give her all in a session of pretend play, or just sit quietly with her daughter “watching my ceiling’s glow-in-the-dark stars flicker, making our own sky.” Heartfelt prose by adult author Danticat can seem more like an adult’s recollection than a child’s impression (“Sometimes it’s a whispered prayer, just before nodding off at nap time”), but the vignettes are full of glad familial love. Wright, an illustrator and cartoonist making her picture book debut, supplies largely realistic scenes in a poignant home-video style. Together, they leave no doubt about how good it feels to be the total center of attention—even when there’s “actual” yucky medicine involved. Ages 3–6. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

03/01/2019

PreS-Gr 2–Danticat (Mama's Nightingale) pays tribute to the ways in which mothers (or other caregivers, as she notes in the back matter) take care of their children when they are sick or down in the dumps. A young black girl shares a descriptive list of the things her mom does to help her feel better: playing games, telling stories, and making food, among many other acts of comfort and healing. She describes each type of "Mommy Medicine" using vivid language, similes, and metaphors. "Or soup—pea, chicken, or squash. I love squash! It's like sunshine in a bowl." The illustrations by Wright, a political cartoonist, burst with the love between the familial pair. She draws with detail and an array of glowing colors that fill each page. The focus is on the mother and daughter, who appear in each vignette like stills from an animation. VERDICT A warm and fuzzy offering for sick days on the couch or everyday reading. A recommended purchase.—Clara Hendricks, Cambridge Public Library, MA

School Library Journal

Heartfelt prose . . . [and vignettes] full of glad familial love . . . leave no doubt about how good it feels to be the total center of attention.” —Publishers Weekly

“A warm and fuzzy offering for sick days on the couch or everyday reading. A recommended purchase.” —School Library Journal

“A sweet celebration of the special touch that only a mother can give.” —Kirkus

“Cozy and comforting, this is an effective antidote for childhood illness or anxiety.” —Booklist

From the Publisher