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Mamá and Me
"Vámanos," Mamá says.
"Let's go!"
Together we garden and bake.
We bike and paint a mural,
colorful and bright.
I do some things sola,
all by myself.
Mamá says, "¡Perfecto!"—
just perfect!
With Mamá, I feel like a girasol,
a sunflower, tall and proud.
For a bilingual girl and her mamá, a loving bond is about being together . . . and independent. Arthur Dorros's skillful and subtle blend of English and Spanish narrative, illustrated with bold, striking paintings by award-winning artist Rudy Gutierrez, offers readers a poignant reminder that every day with Mamá is dulce—sweet!
"Let's go!"
Together we garden and bake.
We bike and paint a mural,
colorful and bright.
I do some things sola,
all by myself.
Mamá says, "¡Perfecto!"—
just perfect!
With Mamá, I feel like a girasol,
a sunflower, tall and proud.
For a bilingual girl and her mamá, a loving bond is about being together . . . and independent. Arthur Dorros's skillful and subtle blend of English and Spanish narrative, illustrated with bold, striking paintings by award-winning artist Rudy Gutierrez, offers readers a poignant reminder that every day with Mamá is dulce—sweet!
32 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
December 31, 2018
A bilingual young girl and her Spanish-speaking mother spend the day together in this sweet, warmhearted picture-book from author Arthur Dorros and illustrator Rudy Gutierrez. As they go about their various activities, the young girl demonstrates a desire to do things on her own, but also a need to stay connected to her mother, and do things with her. While the two buy supplies to redecorate a room, the girl also buys something she can use to create a special gift for this special woman...
A companion to this author/illustrator team's Papá and Me , Mamá and Me has the same sense of family love in the gentle narrative, and the same colorful, exuberant illustrations. I liked that the activities here built toward something - the giving of a gift for Mother's Day - but that they also feel natural and somehow everyday. One gets the feeling that this mother and daughter spend lots of time together. Recommended to anyone looking for engaging picture-books about the mother-daughter bond, or featuring depictions of Latino families.
A companion to this author/illustrator team's Papá and Me , Mamá and Me has the same sense of family love in the gentle narrative, and the same colorful, exuberant illustrations. I liked that the activities here built toward something - the giving of a gift for Mother's Day - but that they also feel natural and somehow everyday. One gets the feeling that this mother and daughter spend lots of time together. Recommended to anyone looking for engaging picture-books about the mother-daughter bond, or featuring depictions of Latino families.
January 31, 2014
Beautiful illustrations, a lot of wonderful intimate moments between mother and daughter, and visit from family! Plus, Spanish words are intermingled with the story, repeated in English for those who don't know Spanish. I do like the bonding between mother and daughter here; however, when you juxtapose this book with Papá and Me, you can see that the boy does all the active things and the girl does the writing and painting and clothes. So the gender dichotomy could use some work, but it's a start because there are no judgments here.
May 25, 2018
This book would fit most classrooms as it is a short story about a little girl and her relatives. It also includes some easy spanish vocabulary.
April 26, 2019
A beautiful story of a mama and a daughter in Spanish and English.
Trait: Presentation
Reading Level:
AR: 1.8
DRA: 18
Trait: Presentation
Reading Level:
AR: 1.8
DRA: 18
November 14, 2020
Beautiful and unique illustrations paired with a sweet way to learn some basic Spanish.
March 4, 2022
Interesting paintings!
July 9, 2022
7/9/2022 ~ I am in LOVE with Gutierrez' illustrations. Every time I open the book, I notice something different.
January 24, 2023
Rudy Guitierrez's illustrations make this above average. Children would not be able to plunge into the almost-cubist rendering of the world of color and movement without them.
March 28, 2024
Mama and Me was another book that I enjoyed, but I would not say it was my favorite. Alot of things were talked about in this book, as far as all the things that they do together, and for me personally, I would have just liked to maybe hear about a couple or even one specific memory they they shared together that made them feel the need to write this book. Overall though, I did enjoy the book, as it reminded me of me and my mother.
November 9, 2018
This book was so good!!! The genre of the book was a realistic-cultural fiction book. I have tried to find books about all the different types of families, specifically, families that steer away from the "traditional" family that we think about with a mom, dad, brother, and sister. I loved how the book incorporated both Spanish and English. This book would be great to read to my students in my school because they are bilingual. My students would love this book. The book is all about how a child and her mom interact with each other and everything they do together. It isn't ever established that the book is about a single-mother but you can tell by the end of the book because there is no mention of a father, just about an aunt, uncle, neighbor, and cousin. The little girl shares how her mom is so helpful and supportive and the different things that they do together. The book ends with the little girl wishing her mother Happy Mother's Day. I enjoyed how the book didn't show activities that are just relatable to the Latino culture, but many different things like cooking, drawing, and planting flowers. However, it seems like the book only portrays the mom and daughter doing "girly" things. I wish we could read/see them do activities that a mother and son or father and son would do together. The only group represented in this book was the Latino culture, but it makes sense because the book was written around that idea. It is a culture that we do not see many books about, but have been seeing recently. However, the book seems like it can relatable to someone from any background. The characters were realistic both in the text and illustrations. Arthur Dorros is an American male author who doesn't have any connection to the Latino culture but he does a great job being accurate with his writing. His story seems to have a sequence rather than a problem and resolution. Overall, I enjoyed this book and would consider reading this in my Kindergarten classroom.
April 10, 2016
This picture book focused on some of the adventures of a mother and her daughter. The picture book had so many colors and was beautifully filled with bright images. The mother and daughter are represented in such a way that you can take your eyes off them and look at all the detail that surrounds them. I did like that picture book stayed away from stereotypical things that a Latina mother and daughter would do together. In the book you can find the mother and daughter baking cookies, planting, riding bikes and painting.
The book focuses on the characters who speak Spanish and English but as a reader it is easy to relate to both characters simply by how they are expressed in the book. The book does not put a great emphasis on making sure the characters play the role of being Latino rather they focus on this mother daughter relationship which makes it easier to relate too.
The language that is represented in this book is Spanish. Both mother and daughter speak it through out the novel. The one thing I did find helpful is that following the Spanish words a character would respond by translating but not directly. The dialog between characters both in English and Spanish was written very carefully so that non Spanish speakers could understand what was being said.
Their is no display of wealth throughout the book. Rather it is filled with beautiful images of patters and designs that create jaw dropping backgrounds. There is an image of a street that has houses. The houses are beautiful and have fences surrounding them. There can be an assumption that the mother and daughter are well off, since they are biking in a neighborhood that has houses with fencing.
Over all the book did not make any generalizations about Spanish speaking families and how the y look, their actions or even how they talk. Although the mother and daughter were both Spanish speakers the characters interacted in a way that any mother daughter duo could relate too. The characters where not given a single story rather they told multiple stories in the activities they did and how it was illustrated.
The book focuses on the characters who speak Spanish and English but as a reader it is easy to relate to both characters simply by how they are expressed in the book. The book does not put a great emphasis on making sure the characters play the role of being Latino rather they focus on this mother daughter relationship which makes it easier to relate too.
The language that is represented in this book is Spanish. Both mother and daughter speak it through out the novel. The one thing I did find helpful is that following the Spanish words a character would respond by translating but not directly. The dialog between characters both in English and Spanish was written very carefully so that non Spanish speakers could understand what was being said.
Their is no display of wealth throughout the book. Rather it is filled with beautiful images of patters and designs that create jaw dropping backgrounds. There is an image of a street that has houses. The houses are beautiful and have fences surrounding them. There can be an assumption that the mother and daughter are well off, since they are biking in a neighborhood that has houses with fencing.
Over all the book did not make any generalizations about Spanish speaking families and how the y look, their actions or even how they talk. Although the mother and daughter were both Spanish speakers the characters interacted in a way that any mother daughter duo could relate too. The characters where not given a single story rather they told multiple stories in the activities they did and how it was illustrated.
March 13, 2014
Mama and Me by Arthur Dorros is a wonderful Latino Children's Literature book. This story is about a mother and a daughters day together. While Mother does her daily activities, her daughter wants to help with every task that she can. However, daughter also has a surprise she is working on for her mother. At the end of the story, mother, daughter and their family gather together to celebrate Mother's Day for mother. Daughter surprises her with her gift and mother is so happy. This first thing I noticed about this book was the beautiful and colorful illustrations. They help to not only tell the story, but give the reader a sense of the Latino culture through the illustrations. While most of the story is told in english, this book uses a lot of spanish words sprinkled throughout it in the form of mother and daughters conversations. I believe that this is a perfect way to introduce children who only speak english to spanish, as well as give students who are english language learners a chance to learn english while also see familiar words of their own language. This book is a great tool to use in the classroom. It can be used to teach children of all backgrounds about different cultures. Although there are many wonderful things about this book, I think that the story content is a little too simple. It seems as if a lot of conversations and themes are repeated throughout the book which can get a little boring to children. I guess the intense illustrations could counteract the repeating sentences and keep the children's attention, but I think there should be a little more depth to the book. All in all though, it was a good read and definitely a great way to teach children about different cultures.
December 19, 2011
Explosive colors and intricate drawings make this story a delight to read, as you linger over each page. A young Hispanic girl and her mother spend time together, leading up to a surprise gift for the mother on her special day. Other family members and friends come into the story, but no mention of the girl’s father or grandparents attending the special day. As the girl and her mother go to the store, paint their home, and make cookies, a few choice Spanish phrases are interspersed within the dialogue, allowing children reading or listening to the story to pick up some new words. The girl wishes to do more things by herself, "sola", opening this story up to such readership as 3rd and 4th-grade readers as they start to assert their ability to be independent in school and helping Mom with the groceries. The vivid illustrations are two-fold: the people in the story almost look like photographs they are drawn so clearly; conversely, the background gives the impression of sidewalk art and graffiti with dramatic swirls of color. The love between the mother and her daughter is easily demonstrated with their conversations during the story—the illustrations bring it to life in a culturally expressive and beautiful way. This story would make a wonderful addition to any picture collection at a public library, especially one with a Hispanic population in the community or with schools in the area teaching Spanish to students. Recommended for public libraries.
April 20, 2016
This is a book that discusses the daily life experiences a mother and a daughter might have. It is interesting that the author made the characters Latinas and they do things outside of the traditional stereotypes. Not only do they bake, but they also bike ride, paint and enjoy nature. The book has some phrases that are in English and Spanish, these are usually repeated throughout the book, like, “sola” meaning alone. By this, the character is showing she can be independent. At the end of the book, the daughter created a scarf for mom by herself. She grows to be more independent but always having mom there to love her and I think this is accurate to the relationships moms have with their daughters in the latino culture and in other cultures as well. I think this makes is easy to relate because it can be about the relationships many moms and daughters can have. This book does a good job at focusing on the relationship a mother has with their daughter. Even the pictures show the mother and daughter activities and not just the latino characteristics in the characters. The pictures do not show a specific class and this makes everyone connect to the characters and not only a specific group.
June 17, 2012
Book type; Predictable and multicultural
This book is about a bilingual girl and her mother and the loving and bond they share .The colors that the artist uses are very relevant to the story. The characters visit the local garden, then they take a bike ride to the market and lastly they visit the paint store to buy paint for the little girl’s room. All the pages have many images painted wildly and with lots of yellow, in addition the pictures have very rustic look .The book is an easy read and it has words in Spanish. The theme is about the little girl’s independence and her discovery of freedom of choice. This theme is integrated in each page. The girl is telling her story and she shows that she likes to do things on her own.
August 10, 2010
The illustrations in this book are beautiful. The story about the little girl and her mother - though not especially unique - is well constructed offers a twist on others in this category. One that I will definitely find once it is published.
May 1, 2012
Mamá and me garden, bake, and go to the market. Mamá asks "te ayudo?" do you want help? And I say I can do it "sola, sola". I feel like a girasol (sunflower) tall and proud. Very fun book, especially in celebration of Mother's Day.
April 19, 2013
Gorgeous, vibrant illustrations and a lot of opportunity to use for inferencing work for young readers. The use of the Spanish words is at first a little bit over translated, but as the book continues, the direct use of translations lessens and becomes more natural.
April 21, 2011
A nice shared day, unique illustrations. Mother's Day. Includes Spanish words.
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August 26, 2023Turn/Level: 1/3
Mother/Daughter, Hispanic Heritage
Mother/Daughter, Hispanic Heritage
September 4, 2013
English with Spanish words.
March 27, 2017
This is a nice cultured book. Not only is the story told in English, but the line below it is the Spanish translation. The book shows a close bond between a mother and a daughter and all the fun things they do together. The end of the book states that the next day is mothers day. It doesn't have to be a special day to do all these fun activities with someone you love like your mother.
October 31, 2018
The words by Arthur Dorros in Mamá and Me were brought to life by the amazing illustrations created by Rudy Gutierrez. Like Dorros' other book, Papá and Me, a beautiful example of how single-parenthood is exposed to children. The words and illustrations offers children how a child raised by just a single-mother experienced life the same way as a child with two parents. In summary, the book describes different activities the little girl does with her Mamá (mother) like gardening, baking cookies, going to the supermarket, and painting. Throughout the day, she wants to do things by herself, "sola," as she describes it because we find out at the very end she made a painting and made extra cookies for her mother for Mother's Day (día de las madres).
The illustration correspond with the Latino/Hispanic characters like giving them tan skin and brunette hair. Also, the characters and text expose children to the Latino/Hispanic culture by integrating Spanish words and phrases in the text like "perfecto," "gracias," "toca la puerta," and "me gustan." This book is a a great example to explain to some children that there are families that only have one mother, and also exposes them to how there are bilingual families.
The illustration correspond with the Latino/Hispanic characters like giving them tan skin and brunette hair. Also, the characters and text expose children to the Latino/Hispanic culture by integrating Spanish words and phrases in the text like "perfecto," "gracias," "toca la puerta," and "me gustan." This book is a a great example to explain to some children that there are families that only have one mother, and also exposes them to how there are bilingual families.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews