When Mom's Away

March 1, 2021
A young girl misses her mother, a physician who must quarantine during the Covid-19 pandemic so she can keep her family safe while caring for sick people. Although Mom is just staying in the garage, her daughter still feels her absence. Whether she's cooking, attending virtual school, or delivering groceries to Grandma and Grandpa (with physically distanced greetings), she misses her mother. Dad is fun, and video chats with Mom help, but it's not the same. When Mom finally comes home, the young narrator rejoices even though she knows her mother will have to go back to work soon. Her mom is a superhero, and while she's gone, the girl knows she can be a superhero too by helping take care of her dad and her community. This issue-focused story supports social-emotional learning and depicts many of the changes children are currently experiencing due to Covid-19. Throughout, the first-person, present-tense text models discussions between caregiver and child about pandemic-related topics. The characters discuss the importance of washing hands, keeping physically distanced, and wearing masks. Characters are shown wearing face masks when outside their home. As much as the girl misses her mother, she expresses only sadness and fear--never anger or resentment. This feels like an omission in a book that seeks to connect with children. Disappointingly, the book lacks any backmatter with additional supports for caregivers. The childlike cartoon illustrations adequately portray day-to-day life, although the technical aspects of the artwork are clunky and flat. The girl and Dad are depicted with black hair and brown skin while Mom has blonde hair and pale skin. Though it is a bit emotionally aspirational, this issue-based story is a timely discussion prompt. (Picture book. 4-7)

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June 1, 2021

PreS-K-A girl with brown skin and a black ponytail is upset when her mother (a doctor) announces she must be apart from her to help care for patients. After the pale-skinned mother explains that a virus is spreading, the girl and her father, his complexion like her own, prepare a space for the mother to quarantine in the garage. The parents' positive explanations and encouragement help distract the girl from her fear and sadness. The father keeps her busy, helping neighbors with shopping, delivering meals (socially distanced) to grandparents, and singing a song while washing hands. Video chats with the mother and online school fill the time until soon enough, the mother is welcomed home. "She is a superhero. She's helping her patients get better." The cartoon-style illustrations and an overly positive text (paired with an overuse of exclamation points) may detract, but the title successfully depicts the impact of the virus for a child. The words "quarantine" and "COVID" are never mentioned so the text assumes that familiarity. VERDICT An accessible right-out-of-the-headlines tale, sure to resonate with any child seeking more information about this global crisis.-Ramarie Beaver, formerly at Plano P.L., TX

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