 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Mommy?
- By Maurice Sendak
- Genre: Picture Book
Common Sense Media says
Spooky pop-up isn't for the very young.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that author/illustrator Maurice Sendak's trademark scariness is much more overt here, with ferocious-looking werewolves and skeletal mummies. Parents will want to look through the book alone before deciding whether it's appropriate for their kids.
What's the story?
Monsters meet their match in a smart baby looking for his mommy.
Is it any good?
Maurice Sendak's work is such a good fit with Matthew Reinhart's paper engineering that you have to wonder what took the publishing world so long to turn one of Sendak's books into a pop-up. That said, it's difficult to know what the target age for MOMMY? really is. It's too scary for little ones, and for older kids it doesn't have the content interest of other recent pop-ups from Robert Sabuda and Reinhart. Perhaps it's best thought of as an illustrated curiosity for families interested in the artistry of picture books.
There's no dialogue. The baby enters a room and asks "Mommy?" and then an overfold page shows how he conquers the monster he meets. The pop-ups are impressive, bursting out of the page but folding back easily. One of the most clever pop-ups is the mummy who's spun undone.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about and spend time exploring the intensely detailed illustrations. There's a lot of hidden humor in the background. Older kids may want to talk about the book in the context of the author's other picture books. What common themes do they see (wily children, perilous and sometimes scary situations, etc.)?
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| Author: | Maurice Sendak |
| Illustrator: | Maurice Sendak |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Picture Book |
| Publisher: | Scholastic Inc. |
| Publication date: | September 26, 2006 |
| Number of pages: | 12 |
| Hardcover price: | $24.95 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 3 - 7 |
| Read aloud: | 3 |
| Read alone: | 6 |
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