Mothers Are Like That - Hardcover

Carrick, Carol

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0395883512 ISBN 13: 9780395883518

Publisher: Clarion Books, 2000

Synopsis

Mothers care for their babies in all kinds of ways. A mother duck keeps her eggs warm, a mother cat washes her little ones with her warm, gentle tongue, a mother goose chases intruders away from the nest . . . and a human mother lovingly tucks her child in and kisses him good night. The profound connection between mother and child emanates from every word and brush stroke as Carol Carrick's spare, elegant text and her son Paul Carrick's luminous paintings join to create a tender and reassuring picture book.

About this title

About the Author

Carol Carrick has written more than twenty-five well-received books for Clarion, Paul Carrick is the son of Carol and the late Donald Carrick. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, he lives in Boston, Massachusetts. MOTHERS ARE LIKE THAT is his first book. including PATRICK'S DINOSAURS, one of the many books illustrated by her late husband, Donald Carrick. She lives in Edgartown, Massachusetts.

Reviews

PreSchool-Each double-page spread shows an animal mother with one or more of her babies engaged in some kind of typical activity: a pig nurses her litter, a cat licks her kittens clean, etc. Their actions are described in the simple text. "Mother keeps her babies clean,/and close,/and safe from harm." "Mother takes them out and shows them off." Readers are then reassured, "Mothers are like that." The last spread shows a human mother, tucking her baby into a crib, with "a kiss good night." Youngsters will enjoy looking at the soft, realistic acrylic paintings of familiar animals-sheep, cows, horses, ducks, raccoons, dogs, and more. The artist's soft colors and gentle shadows, coupled with the caring and affection evident in the postures and actions of the mothers, make this a reassuring bedtime book.
Marian Drabkin, Richmond Public Library, CA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

This mother-son collaboration quietly praises mothers of all species, from a chicken guarding an egg-filled nest to a woman tucking her baby into bed at night. The text is tender without being sappy, its comforting descriptions anchored by the title refrain: "Mother keeps her babies clean,/ and close,/ and safe from harm./ She can find them in a crowd./ Mothers are like that." The author is no stranger to familial teamwork: Carol Carrick collaborated with her late husband, Donald Carrick, on several picture books, including Patrick's Dinosaurs. Their son, Paul, makes a promising picture book debut with luminous, realistic acrylic art that portrays the mothers as warm and solicitous without anthropomorphizing them. In several spreads, he uses lavender-blue outlines to make the animals appear backlit or slightly electrified, and he subtly conveys a background that traces a single day from sunup to moonrise. A fluffy, substantial ewe and her babe fill one verdant spread, and in another, a mother cat licks one of her restless kittens in an indoor setting rendered in warm grays. This brief volume honors all that mothers do, and makes an especially apt bedtime book for parent and child to share. Ages 3-6. (Mar.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

In this tribute to the universal qualities of motherhood, both animal and human, Carol Carrick (Upside Down Cake, 1999, etc.) teams up with her artist son for a soft, comforting remembrance of the good things mothers do. A hen cares for her babies ``even before they are born,'' and a goose protects her goslings, because ``mothers are like that.'' Mother opossums, horses, cats, and ducks all feed, protect, and clean their little ones. Paul Carrick's lovely drawings depict gentle scenes of mothers nurturing their young, including a human mom tucking her child into bed. Perfectly suited for bedtime, maybe Daddy could read this aloud. A gift to mothers not limited to Mother's Day, this will sit on the bookshelf next to Time for Bed (1993). Mothers will like this. (Picture book. 3-6) -- Copyright ©2000, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

A text of very few words with a reassuring refrain floats on shadowy acrylic paintings of animals and their babies. The words "Mother keeps her babies clean" are accompanied by a picture showing a cat licking her kittens; the words "and close" appear with a picture of a lamb snuggled next to a ewe; and going home "to a soft bed" is illustrated with a painting of a German shepherd and her puppies in their bed. The animals are clearly delineated in full closeups. Drawn somewhat less successfully are the human mother and child depicted on the page preceeding the title page and on the last double-page spread. Carrick, who has written many books that were illustrated by her late husband, Donald, now takes their son Paul as a picture-book partner in this first joint effort. GraceAnne A. DeCandido

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Mother keeps her babies clean,
and close.
and safe from harm.
Mothers are like that.

Edition details

• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0395883512
• ISBN 13: 9780395883518
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Carrick Paul
• Number of pages: 32