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Tell Me a Story, Mama
Angela Johnson, David Soman (Illustrator)
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PreS-Gr 2-- In this touching picture book, a mother and preschool-aged daughter talk together as the child is being prepared for bed. ``Tell me a story, Mama, about when you were little,'' begs the child, and proceeds to tell all the stories herself, her headlong narrative punctuated by maternal commentary--sometimes expansion on the events related; sometimes reassuring answers to the questions that the stories inspire. Mama's childhood memories, as related by her daughter, are warm slices of life from a previous generation: a triumph over a mean neighbor, punished but understood by Grandmama; finding a puppy and being allowed to keep it; journeys away from home. The text consists solely of the dialogue between mother and daughter, which allows the stories and their reassuring lessons to flow naturally into one another while preserving their essence: not their specific incidents, but the love and caring that the memories convey, feelings which lend strength when difficult times and separations occur. Soman's vivid, lively watercolors capture the essence of the mood and message as they deftly portray the quotidian portraits of two generations of a black family. Both language and art are full of subtle wit and rich emotion, resulting in a beautifully realized evocation of treasured childhood and family moments. --Christine Behrmann, New York Public Library
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