A Mother Lode Of Books
Bad Latin: Cogito, ergo mum (“I think, therefore I mum”)
I’m sure many will agree with me that mothers have a very special place in all our hearts. It’s all the amazing things that mothers can do and juggle in their lives in order to provide for us and love us so that they may enjoy and discover life alongside us - with all the highs and lows, of course. So we’ve compiled a list of books that are based on mothers and love and the like! Obviously, it’s not a complete and perfect list so add your recommendations to the comments or on our social media! We love to see what others are reading, too!
Contents
(By the way, if anything catches your eye, you can click on the book titles to see the books in our shop!)
Chinese books about mothers
Chirp the Chick is an adorable, round fluffball of cute goodness. And reading about Chirp running an errand for his mum or fretting over being separated from her simply melts my heart. These books are great quality, printed on card rather than paper to be more resilient. Various elements of pop-up or lift-the-flap make these engaging and interactive reads for children, too!
Here’s just a little book with a little summary of one kid’s mum and all the amazing things she does! From baking sweets to working hard to being cuddly like a bear, you can read all about one mum and what makes her special to her child. There’re always much to be admired in the things that mothers do!
Some books just remind you people you know and the mum in this book reminds my sister so much of our own mum that it’s a little uncanny. Go to a shop and buy just one ingredient and my mum will find a whole multitude of things to do with it. So, if you’re wondering why this book, which is more about activities with mung beans, is on this list, then now you know! Haha!
This is a really meaningful and moving story that has touched many hearts before. It follows a girl who has lost her biological parents and learns to accept her adopted parents. The love that grows in this new family is one that is as serene and steady as the full moon.
My Mummy 《我妈妈》 and My Granny 《我奶奶》 (From Peppa Pig Bilingual Boardbook Series Volume 1 in Simplified Chinese and English)
Peppa Pig fans will really enjoy the little references to different episodes of the TV show. There are the silly and funny moments and there are those affectionate moments; combined, they make these bilingual board books a treat for toddlers! The board book preserves against chewing and the easy-to-read sentences make these accessible for early learners!
I Love Mummy! 《好喜欢妈妈!》 (From A Look At Love Series in Simplified Chinese)
This one is particularly cute because it looks at lots of different kinds of animals and the ways that the mothers carry their babies! This particular book has really bold colours and super large text. The repetition and easy vocabulary make this easily accessible for early learners!
It’s amazing what you can do with some illustrations and just a few words. There are only 3 words in this entire book so a lot of it comes down to reading the expressions and body language of the animals in the illustrations. It’s good fun for very young children who are just starting out with reading!
Yes, it’s about a dinosaur. But more importantly, it’s a dino-mum who adopts another dinosaur egg! Dino-mum looks after the egg and, though surprised at first, loves her adopted Tyrannosaurus Rex as though it was her own! Even when the T-Rex leaves the home, he still brings lots of food back for his adopted family.
The I Love Martine Series is great for having a huge variety of books that are suitable for any occasion! In these two books, Martine learns what it takes to be a mother or to be responsible for looking after children. She finds it’s a really tough job but there are many rewarding things about it, too!
Does A Kangaroo Have A Mother, Too? 《袋鼠也幼妈妈吗?》 (Simplified Chinese)
Of course, Eric Carle will be on this list! It’s that brilliant collage art style with its bright colours and shapes that draws the eye! With a simple question-and-answer repetition to the book, it’s perfect as one of your baby’s or toddler’s first books. Every animal has a mother and each mother loves their babies!
Mum 《妈妈》 (From Le Le Chinese Beginner Set in Simplified or Traditional)
If you’ve got the Le Le Chinese graded reading set, then you might consider simply pulling out this book from the pile! This book is nice and easy to read and, honestly, I’m sure our mothers can relate with the last page!
(UPDATE 14/07/2021 14:30: We are a Le Le Chinese Affiliate, which means that you get a 5% discount when you use ‘LELEDEZIREMI’ and a little bit of your purchase will support this blog and the day-to-day running of the bookshop!)
We Love Mum 《我们爱妈妈》 (From Greenfield Green Set in Simplified and Pinyin or Traditional and Pinyin)
This is another one from a graded reading set! This one has Pinyin instead of the reading pen. It’s really sweet how the kids in this one work together to make something for their mum! I love the idea of homemade gift!
Chinese books about family and love
Learning to count and love go hand-in-hand in this book. Every number accompanies an illustration showing affection for a baby from all the family. Hugs and kisses aren’t just counted in the book, the love they demonstrate can be counted on!
Two rabbits stake it out to show each other how much they love each other! (Or something less life-and-death than that.) This is another classic children’s story in English that’s been translated into Chinese. It’s charming and is a lovely way of exploring ways to express love for… well, loved ones!
Family 《一家人》 (From A Look At Love Series in Simplified Chinese)
What things do you do together with your family? It can be fun to read all about it! Things like brushing teeth, reading books, playing together are just a few examples of what comes up in the book. Sometimes, family is just about being together and sharing moments together!
Love《爱是》(From A Baby’s Heart Series in Simplified Chinese)
This book has a really endearing cartoon art style with very imaginative ways of representing love and what it means. Expressing love and explaining love can be really difficult, so sometimes it’s best to look at examples and metaphors. It’s great for those aged 3 and over who are learning to understand their feelings and the feelings of others!
I Love You 《我爱你》 (From I Love You Series in Simplified Chinese and English)
Here’s another delightful series for babies and toddlers! It’s super easy to read because of the repetitive nature of the text which makes it highly suitable for those who are just starting out on their language (and love!) journeys. Featuring various members of the family, this book is nice to help kids learn to express their love!
So, what do you think of our booklist? If anything caught your eye, you can use the links to find the books in this list in our shop! Did we miss anything? Let us know what your favourite mother-centred books are in the comments! Nothing delights us more than interacting with you all.
If you’re still craving more books or Mother’s Day ideas, you should definitely check out these posts by other wonderful bloggers and Instagrammers!
Lah Lah Banana’s list of Chinese books that celebrate family ties
I Love Mum from the Chirp The Chick Series (Chinese) as covered by @littlekidreads
The Most Beautiful Thing (English) as covered by @asianlitforkids
I Really Want To See You, Grandma (Chinese) as covered by @pockets.of.wonder
If Animals Kissed Goodnight (English) as covered by @storieswithjojo
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