Mom Doesnt Know Name CL

Although she tries to figure out the meaning behind each pet name her mother calls her by, young Hannah fears that her mother does not remember her adorable daughter's real name

PreSchool-Grade 2-- Mommy is always lovingly comparing her Hannah to various animals. During a silly dance, it's " 'You funny monkey' "; or, maybe " 'See you later, alligator,' " or, at bedtime " 'Be a quiet little mouse.' " Each time, the little girl imagines herself as that animal. Then, with pride and firmness, she announces, " 'I'm not a mouse. I'm Hannah!' " Text and illustrations resonate with the strength of preschoolers' needs to understand and assert their own identities. A lovely resolution is provided on the final page: with the warmest hug, Mommy confirms, " 'Yes, I know. You're Hannah. My very own happy little, funny little girl.' " The pastel illustrations take Williams' idea, give it form, and then magnify it several decibels. Shachat's style, that adults may recognize from Psychology Today and New York Times Book Review , is offbeat--definitely kooky, but not too strange for children's comfort. It's the weirdness of the art, making anything possible in it, that will transform the words to meaning for many young readers. And this is accomplished with the kind of flair that leaves listeners feeling that something special's happened to them. It's a fun, crazy book that works extremely well. --Liza Bliss, Worcester Public Library, MA
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

In Williams's first book for children, wide-eyed Hannah is convinced that her mother doesn't know her own daughter's name, since she seems to call her every possible appellation except Hannah. When Mommy wakes Hannah in the morning, she asks: "Is that my little chickadee?" Hannah, envisioning herself with a bird's beak, insists, "I'm not a chickadee. I'm Hannah." As the day progresses, Mommy employs an assortment of pet names, and each time a distraught-looking Hannah corrects her. Throughout, Shachat's somewhat childlike acrylic paintings depict the girl in the guise of the objects or creatures cited--pumpkin, devil, alligator, monster, monkey and mouse. Children may be a bit unsettled by the book's title, and their discomfort will only be increased by the fact that Hannah is clearly not amused by her mother's attempts to be affectionate. At bedtime, of course, mother assures daughter that she is well aware that Hannah is her "very own happy little, funny little girl." Ages 2-8.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.