Mother’s Day is coming up this weekend, so what a perfect time to talk about two lovely and just-right-for-the-holiday children’s titles courtesy of my friends at Tundra Books, Candlewick Press and Penguin Random House Canada! If you’re interested in exploring more titles for Mother’s Day (and other family-focused titles), be sure to take a look at this list!

“My mom works as a carpenter. She builds things big and strong. At night, though, she’s a general who’ll march the troops along.”

Let’s start with a look at Holman Wang‘s latest picture book, Great Job, Mom!. You may immediately recognize Holman Wang’s incredible needle felting work from the popular and critically acclaimed Cozy Classics series, as well as the Star Wars Epic Yarns board books (done with his brother Jack Wang). Here, in Great Job, Mom!, Holman Wang turns to a celebration of everything mom. From carpenter and “part-time curator with passion for the arts”, to archeologist and DJ, Great Job, Mom! not only acknowledges but also happily, heartwarmingly honors the lengthy- and varied- list of all of the hats moms can and do wear. The star of the book is arguably the splendid artwork on each page (featuring needle felted wool, scaled models, and photography), but the concise, parsed text that goes along with each spread fits perfectly- light and read-aloud-ready. A fun, comforting, and altogether supremely charming story that begs for rereading (and poring over), there is much to delight in Great Job, Mom!. Readers who adored any of Holman and Jack Wang’s Epic Yarns or Cozy Classics; those who are looking for a cheerful, contemporary standout for Mother’s Day; or those who delight in charming rhyming stories along the lines of authors such as Karma Wilson, Julia Donaldson, Audrey Wood, or Alice Shertle, this is a fabulous pick. For interested readers, there is a companion called Great Job, Dad! from Holman Wang, also available! Be sure to check out the special Behind the Scenes feature at the end of the book; fascinating, so very cool, and just a glimpse at all the tremendous amount of work that goes into the creation of a picture book!

I received a copy of this title courtesy of Tundra Books/Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and comments are my own. Title has been published and is currently available.

“Hello! I am Little Fish, swimming in the sea. Today we have a special day- just Mommy Fish and me!”

Up next is Little Fish and Mommy, A Little Fish Book, from beloved storyteller and illustrator Lucy Cousins (the Maisy series, Hooray for Birds!, Jazzy in the Jungle). Little Fish and Mommy is a hardy fish-shaped board book featuring the bright-eyed tiny orange and yellow polka-dotted fish from stories such as Hooray for Fish! and Count with Little Fish. In this beautifully sweet rhyming story that marks the undeniable adoration between a mom and their little one, Little Fish takes readers along for a “special day” with Mommy Fish: blowing bubbles, splishing and splashing, playing games, exploring caves, and even big, brave Mommy Fish scaring away a shark! For those who have read and loved Hooray for Fish!, or are fans of Lucy Cousins’ unmistakable, bold, bright, and eye-catching artwork, Little Fish and Mommy is such a terrific, adorable pick. Similarly, readers who enjoy the vibrant and sweet stories by authors-illustrators such as Jane Cabrera, Nina Laden, Karen Katz, or Mary Murphy might want to check out the genuine sweetness and cheeriness of Little Fish and Mommy.

I received a copy of this title courtesy of Candlewick Press/Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and comments are my own. Title has been published and is currently available.