My Momma Likes to Say

by Denise Brennan-Nelson, Jane Monroe Donovan (Illustrator)

From the author of Buzzy the Bumblebee comes a child's hilarious visual interpretation of such parental idioms and witticisms as "Hold your horses;" "Money doesn't grow on trees;" and "I have eyes in the back of my head." "Cat got your toungue?" My momma likes to say. I'm not sure what she means but I like it anyway. My cat has never tried to take my tongue away. But if he did, he'd find that it can stretch a long, long way.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 25, 2003

Reviews

[Tiuri · Rating 5 out of 5]

So creative! Love turning the sayings into literally-interpreted pictures.
*ready to read for children

[Miss Leinbach · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre: Non-Fiction Imaginative Informational Poetry Picture Book?
2-5 (mentor text and grammar connections)

This book is a picture book that explores idioms. Each 2-page spread begins with the idiom followed by the same 3 poetic rhyming lines. Then there is another 4-line rhyming verse specific to the idiom. The paintings are lovely interpretations of how the idiom might appear if it were literal. But then, in one corner, there are plain text paragraphs that explain the origins of the idiom.

So, non-fic informational, with some imagination and poetry.

Includes: Time flies; Apple of my eye; Money doesn't grow on trees; Reach for stars; Love makes the world go round; Raining cats & dogs; Don't let the bed bugs bite; Cat got your tongue; If the shoe fits; Eyes in back of head; Hold horses; handed lemons make lemonade; Laughter best medicine.

The book ends with a blank lined page with the heading: I'm sure your momma says some special things too. Use this page to write the things your momma says to you.

So, ready-made guided writing for younger grades? Or maybe an intro for older students' writing workshop assignment to create your own 2-page spread, with all the parts of the mentor text, including doing the research on the origins...?

[Laurie Clary · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I have eyes in the back of my head" and "Money doesn't grow on trees" are a few of the idioms grown ups say to children. My students love it when I say "It's raining cats and dogs". This is a great book to teach an idioms lesson on in the classroom. After reading this book and discussing it with my students, I like to have them write their own idioms with a partner and share a couple of them at our class meeting each day. A must have, FUN story!!

[Clwseattle · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Momma like to Say is brilliant! All the little idioms that make sense to adults are worked into rhymes with a child's confusion and hopes, yet wonderfully explained. I remember having to explain something to my youngest when he was 4 ... oh my.

The illustrations are wonderful and hilarious - I laughed right out loud with "Washington's Dollar Tree Farm *Pick Your Own*".

[Margie · Rating 3 out of 5]

An informative and light-hearted examination of some of the figures of speech we all tend to use in our everyday talking. I have no doubt children often think their parents and other adults in their sphere are just a bit crazy with the language we use which seems to make no sense to them. This fun book with wonderful illustrations will help to explain some of that.

[Kaycee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet

This was a sweet book about a mothers love for her son & some of the sayings she has. I loved it and will be purchasing a hard copy

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book about cliches and idioms that our parents often say, many of which don't make that much sense. The rhyming poems that accompany each phrase, along with the paragraph explanation for where and/or when the phrase originated, are interesting and fun. The book doesn't flow very smoothly however, with the explanations breaking up the rhythm of the poems, but otherwise it's a fun book to read aloud.

[Kaethe · Rating 1 out of 5]

The PandaBat decided at the last minute, after playing on the computer the whole visit, that maybe she'd get one book. She picked this. I haven't even gotten a glimpse of it yet.

***

A bunch of junk. Horrible folk etymologies. Bed bugs are parasites that suck blood from people, they don't eat straw. Oh, and author, they're making a comeback. Pleh.

Told the child I could not finish reading that book to her.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keep your eyes peeled! It's raining cats and dogs! Time flies when you're having fun!
I'm a fan of idioms already, but if I hadn't been, this book would've made me one. The large text is in rhyme and is accompanied by old-timey yet fun illustrations that span two pages. For each saying there's a more in-depth explanation of its origin, and at the end of the book there's a page for writing down "the things your [parents say] to you." Good idea for getting kids writing!

[Xiyuan Ni · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a book collecting things that your mom may say to you when you are a child. It helps children grasp abstract concepts. It is a book full of love, encouragement and suggestions. The illustrtions are vivid and can help you memorizie the words easily. Every child should have such a book to learn concepts.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm.

I thought the origins of the phrases were really interesting -but way over the level of the rest of the text. the main body of the text was great for my 5-year-old, and the explanations were more for my 11-year-old....but it doesn't make for a very evenly-leveled book. :)

[Krys (Krys Reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Via Mother's Day Minis (2)
Lots of fun clichés and idioms that aren't used as often as they were in the past. But this fun book filled with not only a great poem but also with facts and explanations to the phrases on each page.

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing book that teaches about idioms!

[Carol Royce Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written in rhyme this book explains some of the idioms, sayings, proverbs, and cliches so often heard from parents, and explains how these sayings came into being. An interesting book

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

super cute book to introduce and explain idioms.

[Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book of idioms parents often say to their children. Each page also has information about the history of the idioms.

[Jennifer Shields · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like that there are explanations for the idioms in this book, but the explanations are way too long for the children's age level to which you are probably reading the book to.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 Stars Oh the fun with idioms. It was fun to hear the kids perspective and then the answer like..."You are the apple of my eye" or "raining cats and dogs" Fun to read!

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nora enjoyed rereading the book of idioms.

[Meliny Pond]

A boy is confused by his mother's riddles. The whole book is the boy being confused about what his mother means.

This book was so cute and I loved it!

This book would be good when teaching idioms.