Tell Me a Story

by Wally Hurst

This is a 50-page children's diary / journal. It has space for drawing and kindergarten-ruled lines for writing.

Genres: Family, Picture Books, Realistic Fiction, Cultural, Childrens, African American

52 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

Reviews

[Lluvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author: Angela Johnson
Ages Recommended: 4th grade

This book is about a young girl who asks her mother to tell her an old story. The little girl asks her mother to tell her about an old mean lady that used to live next to her mother when she was a little girl among other short stories. As you are reading the book, you noticed that the mother is not telling the story, but daughter. The little girl is telling the story to her mother and her mother is the one listening. I really liked this book because it has a lot of feelings into it. The mother calls her daughter "baby", I call my 4 year old daughter "baby" as well.

[Iliana Morales · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most endearing aspect of Tell Me a Story, Mama is the intimate connection between mother and daughter, represented through the tradition of bedtime storytelling. The text uses simple yet poetic dialogue in which the girl, recounting anecdotes from her mother's childhood, demonstrates how deeply she has integrated them into her own memory.
David Soman's watercolor illustrations perfectly complement this bond, conveying warmth and nostalgia through bright and affectionate scenes of family life.
What shines most in the book is its tenderly realistic portrayal of family intimacy, told through memories shared across generations.

It was awarded the prestigious Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award in 1991 and recognized as one of School Library Journal's "Best Books" in 1989.

[Mrs Tupac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such. A. Sweet. Charming. Book.

[Taylor Ripberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, it shows a good relationship between a mother and daughter and this would be a great book to use in elementary classrooms because it shows a good relationship.

[Amy]

sweet book
child asks for a story, but re-tells the family stories with the help of mama

[Leatha]

This story is about a mother and daughter and their conversations at night before bed. The daughter asks her mother to tell her stories about her childhood. The mother tells different stories about when she was growing up. The daughter has heard the stories so many times she tells the mom the stories before bed at night.

This is a great book for young children grades K-3rd. The book is a great book about family and the great relationship a mother and daughter have. The book shows feelings of love between the mother and daughter.

[Megan Willis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Children are always fascinated about their parents' lives as kids. In this story, a young girl requests story after story from her mother. But she ends up telling the stories for her mom because she knows them so well! It is important for children to get to know their parents as people, and not just mom and dad. Hopefully reading this book will inspire children and their parents to sit down together and just talk! This book is also a great example of how a story can go back in forth in time. One book can have multiple settings and time periods!

[Courtney Bowman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a young girl wanting mama to tell her a story, but she is the one telling the story to mama instead.

This book would be good for all the talkative students so they can see why listening is so important.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little girl recalls the stories that her mother has told her about herself growing up. Good form making connections and voice

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better for a child older than three.