Mama Mine, Mama Mine Written by Rita Gray, Illustrated by Ponder Goembel Ages 3-8 Dutton Books for Young People Hardback; ISBN: 978-0-525-47206-3 List Price; $15.99

“In this calm, reassuring picture book, a toddler stays with an older woman, presumably his grandmother, while his mother cares for a variety of farm critters. The rhyming text queries each animal mother, "When will you come back?" and the creature answers by assuring her offspring that she will return as soon as her work is done. "When will you come back,/Mama cow, mama cow?/After I graze beneath the bough/Where grass grows green, mooo, mooo!/I'll come back, come back to you." The story ends with the boy's mother returning after completing her chores and giving him a hug. Goembel's soft, realistic illustrations reinforce the gentle mood of the text. In the tradition of Kate Banks's Close Your Eyes (Farrar, 2002) and Margaret Wise Brown's The Runaway Bunny (HarperCollins, 1942), this book about a mother's boundless love makes a good choice for sharing at bedtime, or for soothing young listeners who have faced a particularly challenging day.”
— Kathleen Whalin, York Public Library, ME

		“When will you come back, Mama duck, mama duck? After I dabble down in the muck and nibble reeds like big ducks do, I’ll come back, come back to you.” — Rita Gray

Ponder this: “I don’t usally illustrate serious books but when I read Rita’s tender manuscript it seemed right for me. I love to draw animals and enjoyed showing the connection between mother and young.” — Ponder Goembel

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