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Mama's Milk/Mama Me Alimenta
Celebrating the warm and loving bond between mammal mamas and their babies, this lushly illustrated book shows little ones doing what comes naturally-nursing. A perfect choice for cuddling up with a breast-feeding child or preschoolers who wonder how new babies get fed.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
About the author
Michael Elsohn Ross
54 books4 followers"I am fascinated by children's natural curiosity and innate science exploration skills," says author and Yosemite Association naturalist Michael Elsohn Ross. "For ten years I have worked with my good friend Allison Brown, a teacher, seeking new ways for children to experience open-ended science play."
It was findings from this project that ultimately gave rise to WHAT'S THE MATTER IN MR. WHISKERS' ROOM, a book of hands-on mini-experiments that lead to Big Ideas--and promote an ongoing passion for independent discovery. "I decided I wanted to create a fictional classroom where kids were having the kind of grand adventures and discoveries that I'd observed," the author says. "To an adult, dirt is dirt, water is water, and gloop is just some yucky squishy stuff. But to Corrie, Miguel, Pearl, and other intrepid youngsters, great discoveries are just around the corner." The seven science stations in WHAT'S THE MATTER IN MR. WHISKERS' ROOM are designed to encourage students to use all their senses to make observations and draw conclusions, ultimately making science discoveries as simple as child's play. Says KIRKUS REVIEWS: "Hopefully, Ross, a naturalist and author of 40 books for children, has many more Mr. Whiskers adventures planned. Great fun with appealing science."
Michael Elsohn Ross, who is also the author of SANDBOX SCIENTIST, a book for parents and teachers that was named a SMITHSONIAN Notable Book, as well as the children's book SNUG AS A BUG, enjoys visiting schools to present assemblies and workshops students, teachers, and families. He lives on the edge of Yosemite National Park with his wife and son.
It was findings from this project that ultimately gave rise to WHAT'S THE MATTER IN MR. WHISKERS' ROOM, a book of hands-on mini-experiments that lead to Big Ideas--and promote an ongoing passion for independent discovery. "I decided I wanted to create a fictional classroom where kids were having the kind of grand adventures and discoveries that I'd observed," the author says. "To an adult, dirt is dirt, water is water, and gloop is just some yucky squishy stuff. But to Corrie, Miguel, Pearl, and other intrepid youngsters, great discoveries are just around the corner." The seven science stations in WHAT'S THE MATTER IN MR. WHISKERS' ROOM are designed to encourage students to use all their senses to make observations and draw conclusions, ultimately making science discoveries as simple as child's play. Says KIRKUS REVIEWS: "Hopefully, Ross, a naturalist and author of 40 books for children, has many more Mr. Whiskers adventures planned. Great fun with appealing science."
Michael Elsohn Ross, who is also the author of SANDBOX SCIENTIST, a book for parents and teachers that was named a SMITHSONIAN Notable Book, as well as the children's book SNUG AS A BUG, enjoys visiting schools to present assemblies and workshops students, teachers, and families. He lives on the edge of Yosemite National Park with his wife and son.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
July 18, 2010
This is the first picture book I've read that deals with the subject of how mothers nurse their infants. In rhyming text, it starts out with a human mother, and then goes on to depict other mammals, including marsupials (platypus and kangaroo) and whales and dolphins. Ashley Wolff's pleasant, softly-colored illustrations generally avoid showing nipples, so young children might wonder how the infants are getting the milk. That can be explained, however, by an adult. Overall, I found this an informative read (I didn't know that kangaroo milk is pink!). It might be a nice way to introduce one characteristic that classifies all mammals.
July 22, 2018
Lovely read that helps to normalize breastfeeding. I read it with my 6-year old, and we had a sweet time remembering when he nursed. He remembers since he was almost three when he stopped, and he laughed at nursing in a tree and was curious about how the blue whale was pictured feeding her baby. Plus, the cats on the cover look like ours. :)
January 19, 2020
Very sweet, with great pictures of a lot of different animals. All mammals though, because that is the point.
I like that everything is given in both English and Spanish. I am not sure how much kids who are still nursing will comprehend, but the gentle rhymes and the hard pages should work well for that age group.
I like that everything is given in both English and Spanish. I am not sure how much kids who are still nursing will comprehend, but the gentle rhymes and the hard pages should work well for that age group.
May 1, 2026
Very cute book on breastfeeding across all mammals. Still a favorite for my shelf & for teaching breastfeeding to all kiddos.
November 16, 2017
Lovely, lovely illustrations.
February 12, 2018
Cute book with lots of animals and babies nursing.
April 10, 2018
Lovely, lovely book. Both the English and Spanish parts rhyme, so they have slightly different meanings. Lots of good vocabulary with all the different animals nursing. Great facts at the end, too. And above all, normalizing breastfeeding, and conveying a very sweet and tender time. All the stars.
June 4, 2015
Beautiful book promoting breastfeeding. It shows how mammals feed their babies. The last picture shows a mother falling asleep feeding her baby - it would have been better if they were in bed, not on an armchair which is a bit unsafe. A picture with them falling asleep in bed would have emphasised that breastfeeding mamas gets more sleep (mentioned on the last page).
December 28, 2009
We bought this for the kids for Christmas. It's a really cute book about different mammals and how we nurse our babies. Every lactivist should have a copy :-)
August 24, 2022
I must have read this book a thousand times by now. And it's not only Little Ginkgo requesting it. I love it, too. The book begins and ends with a child nursing with their mother, but most of the pages are about various mammal babies drinking their mama's milk. The smooth rhythm and tender rhymes really draw you in, and my son was entranced. He loved the animals as well as the gentle cadence. The text is so heartwarming and loving. My eyes welled up a little the first time I read it, and the postpartum hormones were only partly to blame. Each page is in English and Spanish, and the text rhymes in both languages.
For more books on breastfeeding check out my blog post: Hey, fellow mammals—Here are some books on breastfeeding for the whole family!
For more books on breastfeeding check out my blog post: Hey, fellow mammals—Here are some books on breastfeeding for the whole family!
December 2, 2017
I wish more books about breastfeeding existed. This book is not a favorite of mine, but it is one of very few books that cover this topic and the kids seem to enjoy it. I like the dual language aspect and I appreciate that it normalizes breastfeeding by showing many different animals feeding their young, but I'm not a huge fan of the rhymes/words.
August 18, 2019
Lots of adorable mommy/baby pairs in this book. My older children liked that the name of each baby was included ( though a baby platypus is identified as a puggle which is, sadly, not accurate). Lovely breastfeeding drawings including older babies.
June 29, 2021
It was ok. Very simple. Introduces the idea of breastfeeding.
September 16, 2021
sweet book about nursing ....
March 18, 2017
A great book for breastfed babies! It allows the baby to see other animals and babies at the breast.
June 16, 2012
I love the premise of this children's picture book which shows that humans are mammals. In many ways it is a straightforward cozy picture book about baby animals that most children love, but it so happens that the baby animals (mammals and marsupials) are all suckling. We see foals standing, joeys with their head's in Mum's pouch, blue whales and even armadillo and platypus. At the back are miniature copies of each picture with interesting facts. never knew platypus babies are called puggles!
The rhyming text feels a little forced (perhaps the Spanish flows better) and the pictures similarly don't quite hit my spot in the way the very best children's illustrators do, something about the style. That said I really liked the middle double page spread which shows a nursing mother with her school age child having a picnic on a park bench, lots of park activity in the background, beautifully painted sparrows in the foreground and on another bench, a mother spoon feeding a similar aged baby from a jar whilst strapped into a stroller. Lots to talk about there. Although the final image of a mother nursing her baby in an armchair at night with her eyes closed is beautiful, particularly taken with the back page note on this picture which reminds us that breastfeeding mothers get more sleep it is perhaps a rather unfortunate choice of image given the relative risks of falling asleep with your baby on soft seating compared with a bed.
The rhyming text feels a little forced (perhaps the Spanish flows better) and the pictures similarly don't quite hit my spot in the way the very best children's illustrators do, something about the style. That said I really liked the middle double page spread which shows a nursing mother with her school age child having a picnic on a park bench, lots of park activity in the background, beautifully painted sparrows in the foreground and on another bench, a mother spoon feeding a similar aged baby from a jar whilst strapped into a stroller. Lots to talk about there. Although the final image of a mother nursing her baby in an armchair at night with her eyes closed is beautiful, particularly taken with the back page note on this picture which reminds us that breastfeeding mothers get more sleep it is perhaps a rather unfortunate choice of image given the relative risks of falling asleep with your baby on soft seating compared with a bed.
July 28, 2012
Breast milk has long been touted as the best food for newborns by doctors and parents around the world. The popularity of breastfeeding in America, has waxed and waned through the years, however. While organizations like La Leche and The Breastfeeding Network are known for educating new mothers and the public about the benefits of breast milk, there are still those who view nursing one's baby as something that should be hidden from the rest of society. For parents and caregivers that believe breastfeeding is not only healthful and natural, but something the is common among both humans and animals will want to share the book "Mama's Milk/Mama me alimenta" by Michael Elsohn Ross and Ashley Wolff with the children in their lives.
This is a perfect book for giving to new moms and dads or those who already have a child at home who may be a little jealous of the new sibling. It's also an appropriate book for educating about some of the characteristics of mammals; mammals have hair, give birth to live babies and nurse their young. It's a book that would be an asset in a language immersion program or for learning about babies and mothers.
Read the rest of this review:
http://www.examiner.com/review/review...
This is a perfect book for giving to new moms and dads or those who already have a child at home who may be a little jealous of the new sibling. It's also an appropriate book for educating about some of the characteristics of mammals; mammals have hair, give birth to live babies and nurse their young. It's a book that would be an asset in a language immersion program or for learning about babies and mothers.
Read the rest of this review:
http://www.examiner.com/review/review...
May 16, 2012
Adorable book, and the first time we checked it out my daughter was excited that the animals were nursing and would say and sign to nurse when she saw them. Having the names of the baby animals provides something for older children to learn.
I was disappointed that there's a picture of a mom spoon-feeding a baby in a stroller, however. Now that my daughter is nearly 2, she points that out and I've had to tell her what she's doing. I've never spoon-fed her, and it bothers me that it's in a book that is about breastfeeding. I understand that we feed our babies in different ways, but I didn't get why it had to be in this book.
I was disappointed that there's a picture of a mom spoon-feeding a baby in a stroller, however. Now that my daughter is nearly 2, she points that out and I've had to tell her what she's doing. I've never spoon-fed her, and it bothers me that it's in a book that is about breastfeeding. I understand that we feed our babies in different ways, but I didn't get why it had to be in this book.
August 25, 2014
This is a wonderfully illustrated children's book which shows mothers of all kinds nursing their babies. I am a proud breastfeeder, and lament the fact that my youngest will not ever get to see me nurse another baby - I like the idea of modelling behaviors for my children firsthand. So, I often quietly point out nursing mothers in public, and I have been known to thank other mothers for breastfeeding in public and setting a good example for my children. Books like this one serve the same purpose for me, and the succinct facts at the end of the book also educate my children about why breastfeeding is so great! So, I loved this book.
December 14, 2015
I first saw this book a couple of years ago, but since at the time our library didn't have it, I forgot about it. Fast forward to last month when I was working on Christmas gift suggestions for relatives which included Manhattan Toy Nursing Nina Cat for my youngest daughter. I checked our library again and this time it was listed. It's a cute book and although my kids don't see me nursing any babies anymore, the baby animals and their mamas are endearing. I hope my youngest likes her Nursing Nina cat and kittens as much as I do.
February 8, 2013
Beautiful book promoting breastfeeding. It shows how mammals feed their babies. I was a bit surprised to see the picture of the baby being spoon fed. The last picture shows a mother falling asleep feeding her baby - it would have been better if they were in bed, not on an armchair which is a bit unsafe. A picture with them falling asleep in bed would have emphasised that breastfeeding mamas gets more sleep (mentioned on the last page).
September 25, 2009
This book shows pictures and tells stories of all different babies nursing with their moms. I think it will be helpful to revisit when Adeline has a younger brother or sister and begins to have questions about me nursing the new baby. This time she mostly enjoyed the pictures of the animals and making the sounds of the ones she recognized.
October 20, 2019
One of the only books I've found that celebrates breastfeeding. The text is in both Spanish and English, though I think the rhymes are more fluid in spanish. Choppy at times, but wonderfully illustrated, the author highlights several breastfeeding mammals throughout the poem, and includes facts about the animals at the end of the book.
December 9, 2009
There just aren't enough books about breastfeeding for kids. M loved this book for a long time.
February 23, 2010
How fantastic! Nursing mammals of all kinds. Ever wonder how mama whales nurse? Here you go. And bats! Upside down? I'm gonna try that tonight.
July 29, 2010
Soft, warm book with very easy text that rightly labels platypus babies 'puggles' and mater-of-factly discusses the rightness of breastfeeding in the animal kingdom and the human species.
September 16, 2010
A book promoting breast feeding. A gift from Uncle Gabo
December 16, 2016
The text was only slightly less awesome than the pictures. Will definitely be joining our home library!
July 13, 2010
So nice to see a picture book about breastfeeding!
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April 26, 2019This book is easy to read, with a beautiful poetic rhythm. Children can relate to the pictures of nursing babies and learn tidbits of information about other mammals nursing their young.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews