SING, MAMA, SING

Moments between mothers and children are celebrated in this debut rhyming picture book.

A brown-skinned, curly-haired mother sings to a bundled baby. A mother wearing a blue hijab gazes at her child with love. A White, blond-haired mother croons as she rocks her baby in a crib. Mothers from many different cultures and walks of life are united by their love for their kids, who range from infants to toddlers. Even on pages where there is conflict—“Keep, Mama, keep / me close to your heart. / Our bond will be tested, / but won’t come apart”—the love between mother and child is clear. With Delgado’s soft rhymes and short stanzas, the lulling patterns of the lyrics make this a perfect bedtime read-aloud for young children. Khalatyan’s illustrations are a treat for the eyes. They feature themed colors that unite the backgrounds and clothing, portraying mothers and children with a wide range of skin tones. All the parents perform acts of caring, and most of them share a similar body shape. There’s the implication that one mother is teaching her child sign language, showing her little one the sign for more. The contrast between the text and the bold backgrounds feels tailored to the youngest lap readers, who may trace the details around the words—music notes in many cases but also various patterns lifted from clothing—with small fingers as their parents read them the enjoyable story.

A sweet, love-filled lullaby with a wonderfully diverse group of mothers and kids.