Before I Was Your Mother (by Kathryn Lasky)

This book captures the cozy feeling of listening to a parent share their childhood stories -- from the times they got into trouble or behaved less than perfectly to the games they loved to play. What a pleasure it is to know that parents really do understand why siblings argue and why it's so hard to be quiet when mom is on the phone. Kids will get the picture that parents are people with their own likes and dislikes, even if they're too busy with grocery lists and bills to always indulge their interests.

Very young kids may not quite understand that the mom in the story is not the same as the mom who might be reading the story, but older kids probably will be inspired to cuddle up and ask their parents about their own best memories. LeUyen Pham's adept watercolors use soft brown tones to lend a sepia tint to the mother's memories, making it easy for readers to recognize what is a present-day picture and what isn't.