Mom, Dad, Our Books, and Me

by Danielle Marcotte, Josée Bisaillon (Illustrations)

Reading takes many forms. Some of us read novels, while others read cookbooks, sheet music, tarot cards, or even the stars in the sky. We read clocks, train schedules, and facial expressions. In this ode to reading, each form is lovely and worth celebrating. Mom, Dad, Our Books, and Me follows a young boy and those around him — parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and neighbors — as they all read, immersed in what moves them.

Vibrant, whimsical paper collage artwork depicts the colors and textures of the many places in which we read, from hammocks and bubble baths to park benches and waiting rooms. The diverse cityscapes and landscapes often include fanciful elements of imagination.

Mom, Dad, Our Books, and Me will leave young readers reveling in this newfound or soon-to-come skill that sparks new adventures and brings people together.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Books About Books, Family, Storytime, Fiction, Canada

32 pages, Hardcover

First published April 12, 2016

About the author

Danielle Marcotte est une romancière et autrice de livres pour la jeunesse québécoise née à Montréal en avril 1950.

Danielle Marcotte détient un baccalauréat en littérature et une maîtrise (M. Ed.) spécialisée en andragogie de l'Université de Montréal.

Elle a exercé plusieurs métiers reliés de près ou de loin à l'écriture: du journalisme, de l’enseignement, de la scénarisation, de l’édition, de la gestion d’entreprises culturelles et des communications. Elle a notamment vécu au Zaïre (1973-1974) et en Suisse (2002-2009). De 2004 à 2009, elle était chargée de mission pour la promotion de la lecture à l'école obligatoire, pour le compte du Ministère de l'Éducation du Jura, en Suisse. Elle compte aussi parmi les membres fondateurs de l'Association pour la promotion de la lecture.

Mère de quatre enfants, issus de précédents mariages, elle épouse le politicien suisse Pierre-Alain Gentil, en juin 2005. Rentrée au Québec en 2009, à la mort de son mari, Danielle Marcotte vit à Longueuil, où elle se consacre à l'écriture.

En 2016, elle coordonne l'initiative Lire en famille de la Ville de Longueuil qui vide à transmettre le goût de la lecture aux enfants.

Reviews

[Yasmine Mohamed · Rating 5 out of 5]

قرأتها مع إبني وربما أكون أحببتها أكثر منه🤗
قصة جميلة وبسيطة عن حب القراءة💕

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mom, Dad, Our Books, and Me has a message and theme I hold dear to my heart—the love of reading! These words ring so true they make my heart sing…

“Thanks to books,
I find balance,
I climb high,
I follow new roads,
and I move forward.”

But unfortunately the art did not speak to me. The pages felt disconnected and fragmented. I never felt rooted in the story. And the faces—truth be told—scared me at times (like the baby in the doctor’s office). The patterns, colors, and art style just didn’t work for me.

Still a beautiful message about how everyone reads in their own way.

Check it out from the Library.

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 1 out of 5]

This could have been a really nice book about a family that reads and how important that is to them. Instead, we get loose redefinitions of what reading is - "The fisherman reads the sky for coming storms." - well...not really. So is reading now defined as anything that you get information from visually? Even so, "A woman reads love poems in her boyfriend's eyes" is simply not accurate.

There is some warm fuzzy nonsense about how "Thanks to books, I find balance, I climb high, I follow new roads, and I move forward" and "books also bring us together" - yuck. But there is no investigation of the really interesting aspects of reading - how it presents the thoughts of someone far away in distance or time; how books record exact language that can be re-read over the years or by other people, thus allowing for the creation of shared experiences; how books can comment on and relate to each other, etc. I absolutely believe that these concepts could be put into a picture book. I would have loved to see something about how this child reads the same book that his grandfather and father did and how it affected each of them. The very shallow "this person reads this" and "that person reads that" without anything substantial is all that this book has to offer.

The illustrations are in a generic mixed media style, not especially distinctive.

[Scott Fillner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will be a book I consider beginning the year with next year. I loved the theme of reading throughout. It helps us start conversations about where we can find reading, and how it can effect us. The illustrations are soft and inviting.

[Etienne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un hommage à la famille et au plaisir de lire, qui malheureusement se perd un peu en cours de route, pour terminer sur une bonne note. Un peu inégal!

[Karen Szymusiak · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book to share with young readers and may even spark a good conversation with older readers. The story is about a young boy who loves learning to read. He begins to notice that many people around him also read. What I love about the book is that he even notices that they read other things besides books. (A doctor who reads a thermometer. A tourist reads the time on his watch. The fisherman reads the sky.)

[Nafise Beheshti · Rating 3 out of 5]

تصویرگری‌ش برای کتابی که کمتر از ده سال پیش نوشته شده ضعیفه. فونت و رنگ فونت‌ها هم دلبرانه نیست. به نظرم سه ستاره هم زیاده براش، ولی باید دید بچه‌ها ازش خوششون میاد یا نه.
فکر می‌کنم نسخه ترجمه فارسی‌ش کلا کتاب رو خراب کرده. حتی رنگ تصویر‌ها هم از نسخه اصلی متفاوته.

[Darcy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm told we went to the library in our new town today, but I can't be sure because I slept the whole time. My parents did have a new pile of books, though, and this was the first one I got to hear. Some perfectly pleasant text about the different ways big kids and grown-ups use reading in their everyday lives (recipes, train schedules, sheet music, etc.), but for me the best part of this one was the illustrations. -M

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading takes many forms and this young person shares many of them. The emphasis is on reading for joy and for learning. Love the cut paper illustrations.

[معصومه توکلی · Rating 3 out of 5]

عنوان ترجمهٔ فارسی: مامان، بابا، کتاب‌هایمان و من

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

For all ages of readers, but especially the young ones, this book tells all about the readers in this young child’s life, where they read, what they read, and later, all the kinds of reading that is done. It’s illustrated through intricate collage and drawings. A family settles in as you can see by the cover, but Buddy, the dog, and Toto, the goldfish don’t read. Buddy hasn’t learned yet, and Toto prefers TV. The boy shows that he can “turn pages, name pictures and sound out words.” He can read now, “like the big kids!” Grandparents and uncles also read, and Auntie reads music. Somehow as I was reading, I turned the pages quickly, enjoying this so thoroughly, but then I slowed, loving the change that began with “And books are not the only things we read. The fisherman reads the sky for coming storms.” Later, “A woman reads love poems in her boyfriend’s eyes.” And on. I guess I like it enough that I want to quote ALL of it. Time to find it and read it yourself! It’s a treasure!

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Reading can make you cry. Reading can make you smile. I like it best when I laugh and cry."

Such an interesting book. I love that the author talks about other things that we read besides books: sheet music, "Love poems in her boyfriend's eyes", train schedules ... even thermometers. But mostly I love that the narrator's family makes reading a priority in their lives and that it brings them together. A definite addition to the school library.

[Jenn O'Brien · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was hoping for a cute, entertaining loveable ode to books and book readers. And what I found fell a little short for me. The illustrations were not what I was hoping for nor was the story. Overall, this particular children's book just did not appeal to me, but may grab other readers.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely celebration of reading and all the different forms that takes in this boy's life and of those who surround him. To books!

[Franki Sibberson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Will start good conversations about books and reading!

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute read aloud about how everyone reads in different ways even if they aren't reading a book.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the story and pictures

[Marwa Abdullah · Rating 5 out of 5]

قرأتها مع صغيرتي في نسختها العربية 😍

انها قصّة ابنتي المفضّلة ❤

[Georgia Herod · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I walked past a display in the library, this book caught my eye. If you want your children to love reading, read, read, read--by yourself and with them. That 15-minutes a day prescription works well!

Marcotte expands and celebrates reading from books to all sorts of other readings: temperature, music, watches, weather, recipes, etc.

Thanks to books,
I find balance,
I climb high,
I follow new roads,
and I move forward.

Books always change us in large or small ways--I trust that this book would enchant and engage readers. Any bibliophile would enjoy this picture book extolling the gifts of books, reading, and folks who love both.

Illustrations didn't attract me or supplement the text positively, especially the faces of the
characters (which I know are difficult).

[Ellen L. Ramsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the way this book celebrates the fun of reading and of sharing books with parents, grandparents, and other family members, including the dog, the cat, and the goldfish! Adding to the fun of reading this book is the unusual places and ways that people read—an aunt reads sheet music and creates stories of sound, and a fisherman reads the sky to predict the weather. The ending reminds us that books make us laugh and cry, take us on adventures, and bring us together with family members and friends.

[FM Family · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one, which I usually don't for books about books. I didn't love the illustration, and there's not a huge amount there really in this story. But I think what I really appreciated about it is it starts on reading storybooks, moves to other kinds of books, and then away into all different things you can read, from the weather to a palm. Which I could see not working well but for me was quite effective. My three year old consistently chose it for bedtime, so i think she enjoyed it too.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute book about the many ways that we read beyond books. Other examples include watches, cookbooks, maps, clouds, and expressions. Felt like the book was trying to tackle both how much reading is actually involved in our lives beyond books, as well as the idea that reading can take you places beyond the mundane.

[Robert Gowdy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good story to read. It had positive messages about the importance of reading and spending time and relating to family members. The art style is an interesting drawn style that adds a subtle intellectual aspect to the story which adds to the theme. The story touches on topics of family, reading, and perusing what you want to do. I would recommend this book for all ages.

[Denalyn Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

It just doesn't get better than a children's book about loving books. It explains the emotional value of a book and the relationships books can make. Perfect book for the little bookworm, perfect book for the kid who doesn't get the point of books when you can watch a movie. Classroom and read-aloud must-have.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A feel-good story about a family that loves to read and all the ways in which we read beyond books. A great book to read aloud and then to prompt students about all the other ways we and our family members read the world.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't love the pictures in this book or I would push it over the 4 mark. But 4 stars is where it is ! I love the book culture of the family and the other ways you can read (Like fisherman can read a storm coming in. You can read a watch. You can read expressions! Really liked this one!

[Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading isn't just for books. It's for sheet music, poems, and even tarot cards. Turn the pages and see what all there is to read. This style of illustrations is not my favorite, but worth a one time read.

[Laura Aldridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how this book encourages reading of all kinds. How it shows reading music, reading the time and even reading each other. The great message of letting a book bring you someplace new but also bringing you together with others is well stated in this book.

[Lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love all the ways that reading is defined !

[Deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this books. It shows students that reading is important but you do not have to just read books. You can read the sky, other people, or watches.