Book Review-- Are You My Mother?

When I was growing up, my mother read the children’s book classics, Stuart Little, The Grass Hopper and The Ant, The Cat In The Hat, and Are You My Mother.

All of these books and writers are great, and you really cannot pick a favorite, however “Are You My Mother?” has a special place for me. My mother gave my son a copy of the book when he was learning to read, and I , in turn, read it to him. We both remember him laughing, when the baby bird asks a cow if it is his mother, and the cow replies, “No, I am Not Your Mother, I am a cow!” My son would ask me to read that particular text over and over again. The book, passed down in my family, like a priceless jewel from one generation to the next, is a great read. My son inherited one of the older copies with the baby bird in his nest, on the front cover.

The book, written by, Philip Dey Eastman in 1960 has a unique appeal, and humor all its own, however Mr. Eastman wrote closely and collaborated often with our endearing Dr. Seuss.

P.D. Eastman, an author, illustrator, and filmmaker, worked with Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss) on the training film, “Private Snafu” during the Second World War. He also wrote cartoon scripts for the near-sighted Mr. Magoo, and worked on Dr. Seuss’s “Gerald McBoing-Boing” for UPA Studios. He wrote many other beginning book titles, one of which was “Go, Dog, Go”, adding to a genre enjoyed by writers and readers alike.

I am, for one so appreciative of P.D. Eastman’s work. Great books withstand the test of time, never losing audience appeal, and “Are You My Mother?” is certainly one of these books.

P.D. Eastman wrote in a style that demonstrates his love for children and storytelling.

The story is about a little baby bird, who falls from the nest, immediately after hatching, missing his opportunity for a proper introduction to his mother. Armed with an enthusiastic attitude, the little bird sets out to find Mom, introducing himself to everything and every animal he happens upon. He sees a plane in the sky and wonders, “Is that is mother?” He asks a dog, cat, cow, and even a large construction truck! A page-turner, “Are You My Mother?, follows the baby birds quizzical bewilderment, as he searches for his mother. You feel a rising tension, until the story arrives a cheerful and satisfying conclusion.

Most people fall in love with the baby bird on the first page, and are completely won over by the last! This is a book created to be a part of the family, and will continue to be a definite family treasure.