Mama, Were You Ever Young?

by John Williams Hay, Paul Cline, Judythe Sieck (Illustrator)

A mother responds to a question asked by her curious children by evoking images expressing the essence of youth as an appreciation for life

Library Binding

First published November 1, 1989

Reviews

[Danielle Harriger · Rating 2 out of 5]

PB 40: Although I appreciated certain aspects of this story, overall, I would not recommend this book to others. I appreciated that this book poses a question that captures the wonder and curiosity of young children by asking if their mom was ever young. However, the mother’s similes that carry throughout the story have little relevance. For example, the mother makes comparisons that she is as “young as the stars in the bulge of the sky.” While this provides interesting visual illustrations, the stars in the sky are not young. Also, the author includes “young as a wippity wee” which does not carry any significance. However, I appreciated that the ending portrayed the idea that people are kept young by doing the things they love and experiencing new things. I think this is an important message to teach children. Thus, I think the message of the story was strong, but the execution of the plot line was odd and misleading. Thus, I would not recommend this book to others to read.