MY SUPERHERO MOM

A little girl learns that momis another word for hero in Khan’s picture book.

As young Soha sits at the breakfast table with her little sister, dad, and Ammi (the Hindi word for mom), she’s eager to get to school to find out if she won the “My Superhero Mom” essay contest, which has a $100 prize. When the competition was first announced, Soha wondered if her essay could win, as her mother didn’t have a fancy job title. But after she spends the weekend volunteering with her mother at a food bank, a soup kitchen, and elsewhere, Soha sees her in a different light. Alshalabi’s illustrations are bright and cheerful throughout and feature characters with a range of skin tones. Khan’s text highlights terms for job titles and workplaces. The story also depicts other children describing how their mothers’ work affects other people (“people go to her for advice”; “she takes care of sick children”); later, the story effectively recognizes similar attributes in Soha’s mom’s actions. The book might have been improved a bit if the teacher had discussed the essay-writing process with Soha in more detail. Still, the story of Soha’s day with her mom simply presents the benefits of helping others.

A clear lesson about everyday heroic deeds.