Critical Issues Books

Mommy, where are you?

Gore, L. (2009). Mommy, where are you?. New York: Ginee Seo Books.

ISBN-13: 978-1-4169-5505-4
ISBN 10: 1-4169-5505-4

This is an excellent book for children with anxiety or having attachment issues with their parents. It illustrates a little mouse, Ozzie that wakes up one morning, and find that his mommy wasn't there. He then went out searching for her everywhere and finally realize mommy is at home preparing breakfast. This book is filled with soft and colourful acrylic paintings on the entire page. The vocabularies used are simple and suitable for 3-5 years old. The repetition of "There you are!" throughout the book allows children to participate and join in as the teacher is reading the story. As the little mouse went out to search for his mom, the flapping cut-out page that the object is hiding underneath is a peeking mechanism of the creature that will be revealed on the next page. This book shows the attachment that a child is with his mother, as well as anxiety that children might have when they wake up without seeing their mother.

Provocations:

• Display a picture of little mouse and mommy mouse. See how children will interact and engage questions and conversations.

Presenting the book:

• Reading the book, stop and pause at each illustrated cut-out page and allow children to guess who is hiding on the next page. Ask children: I wonder who's hiding behind the rock, fence, flowers? etc)
• Felt board story: Cut out animals needed (worms, rabbits, squirrel etc) and the object the animals are hiding behind (for example: tree, rock, lake, fence). It would be easier to draw/color photocopy, then laminate the pictures and stick felts on the back)
• Audience participation: Have one child act out to be the mouse and out looking for his mother. Other children can each represent one animal by curling themselves up and the mouse has to guess what animal it is. (Teacher can make animal masks with paper plates for animals needed)

Extensions:

• Hide different animals in the classroom, have children find the same pair of mommy and baby animals.
• Children can make their own book on where their mommy is hiding
• Art project: Children can paint their own mommy and baby animals with acrylic paints (Teacher can google colouring images "animals")