Are You My Mother? By PD Eastman – Introducing Your Child To The Joys Of Reading!
Are You My Mother? by PD Eastman – just in case you are wondering, this book, which is written by someone who is often mistaken as Dr. Seuss, is a story concerning a mother bird who left her egg in her nest (knowing it will stay there) to get something to eat for her soon to be hatchling. Finally, the baby bird comes out of his egg. Unfortunately, he doesn’t understand where his mother is and went on to search for her…not knowing she will be back soon. While searching for her mom, he encountered a kitten, a dog, a cow, a hen – asking them if they are his mother. All of them shook their heads in disagreement and said “No!”
Off he goes, the baby bird continuing for his search. He then spots an old car, and that can’t be his mom for sure. Feeling desperate and frustrated, the lost hatchling calls out to a boat and to a plant. Now, he is convinced that he has found his mother. Feeling the rush of excitement of being reunited with his parent, he climbed all the way to the teeth of the enormous power shovel. However, as the power shovel shudders and starts moving, grinding, he found himself stuck and unable to escape. Crying out loud, the hatchling said – “I want my mother!”
Everything looks dim and grim for the hatchling. However, just when things are looking really bad for him, at this climatic moment, fate intervened and the situation is reversed. The power shovel dropped him all the way back to his nest, just moments before his mom returned home with food to eat. In the end, the two are delighted to find out that they are reunited. The hatchling then tells his missing mom about his adventure and how he looked for her.
Simple, BUT interesting enough to keep your child’s mind and eyes glued to his wonderful early reader’s book by acclaimed author PD Eastman.
Are You My Mother? By PD Eastman – My Review
Are you on the hunt for a good book that would help introduce your child to the joys of reading? If you answered yes to that, then this is the book to check out! Years before I realized how vulnerable babies are, how much they need assurance, a copy of Are You My Mother? by PD Eastman was given to me and for my first year old. That was all the way back to 1986! Since then, this book became a standard reading book for all of my kids, even for my youngest son who is now 4 years old.
I have read to each of my kids before they were one year olds. Among my 5 kids, only one of them is NOT as fond as reading as his siblings. However, even he enjoys a good book every now and then. And Are You My Mother? by PD Eastman is one of those books that he loves reading over and over again. Right now, this son of mine is already a hulking 16 year old teenager. But whenever he sees a construction equipment, he smiles and says – “Check it out dad! It’s a Snort”
The “Snort” reference, by the way, in PD Eastman’s book came when the hatchling asks a huge piece of construction equipment, inquiring if it was his mother. Well, the massive construction and digging equipment just said SNORT! This is the part that my son waits for every time he reads Are You My Mother? by PD Eastman. He laughs every single time back when he was a kid, and he can’t help but let out a grin each time he’s reminded of this part of the book (even now that he is already a teenager).
This book is one that my kids never tired of. Through they early toddler years, Are You My Mother? by PD Eastman was their favorite bedtime and naptime story. They read it and seek comfort from it when they are feeling tearful. YES, this book became their best buddy. Countless times, my kids would curl up on my lap with their blanket with his thumb while I comforted them during those not so pleasant times and read the book to them.
The plot, especially the ending, is perfect for kids who want reassurance of security before they go sound asleep. And with very easy to understand words and colorful illustrations, I’m pretty sure my kids would read this book to their soon-to-be children.