What do you think?
Carry Me, Mama
Katie views life from the warm hood of her mother's parka. From her safe vantage point, she watches as her mother catches salmon, picks plump, red berries, and leads the family's dog team across the snow. Then one spring day, Mama decides it is time for her little girl to walk on her own. The first time Katie walks, it's a short distance - just as far as you can throw a stone. The next time it's as far as a rabbit runs, then as far as a bear roams! But trying to keep up with Mama takes all of Katie's energy. Carry me, Mama! she begs, even though Mama knows it's time for Katie to make her own way. Carry Me, Mama is a charming story about growing up. Young children will understand Katie's mixed feelings about standing on her own two feet. Here, too, is a perfect bedtime story, as young readers follow Katie and her mother through their walks until it is time for Katie to be tucked in. Charming illustrations by Pauline Paquin are full of life, and reflect the beauty of the northern tundra. Pauline's unique artistic style incorporates faceless figures. Remarkably expressive, these images reflect her desire for young children to see themselves as the characters in the story.
- GenresPicture BooksChildrens
32 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2001
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 17, 2018
I have read this to my daughter more times I can think of.
May 9, 2019
The story and the setting here are great - a little girl on a walk with her mom, who has always been carried, is now old enough to walk the path, too. It is quite sweet, and I like that they are Native characters, and it is obvious without ever being directly mentioned. However, the faceless art framed me out. Not a fan. The landscapes in this are pretty, though.
December 18, 2019
I was looking for Inuit stories and came across this book. It has a universal theme of the child who wants their parent to carry them because they are too tired to walk. It is a sweet story.
November 1, 2011
multicultural/religious:
This book is about little girl named Katie who lives in the Arctic with her family. They are Eskimo's and must walk everywhere since they do not have a car. One day Katie and her mama must go on a trip to her Aunt Nina's home. Usually her mama carries her, but today is the first time that her mother makes Katie walk with her instead of being carried on her mothers back. This is a big change for Katie and she is not quite sure if she can handle it, so she asks her mother every so often to carry her. Her mother never gives in to Katie's requests though, instead she tells her to look up to the sky and find the Ravens, and that when the Ravens are flying over head of them they will be home. Once Katie realizes she has almost made it home, she begins to skip and run towards her house. At the end of the story Katie is extremely proud of herself and asks her mother if they can go on another trip to her grandfathers fishing camp. Her mother explains that it is a very far walk and that it is time for bed as she carries Katie off to bed.
I picked this book because I really liked how it included different parts of the Eskimo culture such as their dress (Parka's, how they traveled and what type of environment they live in, but also it showed similarities between The Eskimo culture and our own. Some examples of this is how Katie's mother told her no, even when she was most persistent and rocked her to sleep before carrying her to bed, and how the layout of Katie's bedroom was very similar to that of any other child. I believe these distinct characteristics would help make it very real to children in a classroom setting.
This book is about little girl named Katie who lives in the Arctic with her family. They are Eskimo's and must walk everywhere since they do not have a car. One day Katie and her mama must go on a trip to her Aunt Nina's home. Usually her mama carries her, but today is the first time that her mother makes Katie walk with her instead of being carried on her mothers back. This is a big change for Katie and she is not quite sure if she can handle it, so she asks her mother every so often to carry her. Her mother never gives in to Katie's requests though, instead she tells her to look up to the sky and find the Ravens, and that when the Ravens are flying over head of them they will be home. Once Katie realizes she has almost made it home, she begins to skip and run towards her house. At the end of the story Katie is extremely proud of herself and asks her mother if they can go on another trip to her grandfathers fishing camp. Her mother explains that it is a very far walk and that it is time for bed as she carries Katie off to bed.
I picked this book because I really liked how it included different parts of the Eskimo culture such as their dress (Parka's, how they traveled and what type of environment they live in, but also it showed similarities between The Eskimo culture and our own. Some examples of this is how Katie's mother told her no, even when she was most persistent and rocked her to sleep before carrying her to bed, and how the layout of Katie's bedroom was very similar to that of any other child. I believe these distinct characteristics would help make it very real to children in a classroom setting.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews