MotherReader

I can’t decide which title it should be, but it is my Poetry Friday feature. Many times I come across a picture book where the text is really one poem stretched out over several — usually lovely — pages. And you know what? I’m counting them for Poetry Friday. So there.

In yesterday’s post I mentioned this stand-out book. It’s the only book I can think of that has taken the aunt/niece relationship and captured it so well. Personally, the fact that its release coincides so nicely with the addition of my new niece couldn’t have hurt my response to it. Not that it was deliberate on the publisher’s part. At least I hope not, or I’m in some sort of Truman movie experience.

Wow! It Sure Is Good To Be You! by Cynthia Jabar is a beautiful and touching book. Here’s the first part:

Somebody, somewhere, is thinking about you,
Keeps your picture in their pocket,
Misses your kisses,
Loves you more than birds love trees,
more than brothers love to tease,
loves you even more than dogs have fleas,
and that’s a lot too!
Loving you is their favorite thing to do.
Wow! It sure is good to be you!

And these sweet words are accompanied by fun, lively illustrations of a little girl going about her life while getting support from afar. I love the “Girl Power” crown on the kid’s head. I love that she is a person of color. I love the picture of her acting out in her house. I love the aunt’s/friend’s/cool grandmother’s hip bell-bottom pants. A wonderful book to share with the princess/rock star/cool girl in your life.