Lisa McCourt

A mother is tucking in her small child, but he has a question! This creative young boy wants to know if Mama will still love him if her were a scary ape, a terrible dinosaur, a green alien or a stinky skunk. Mama, of course, will love her little one no matter what he is and so she tells him until he is satisfied enough to finally say “I love you, Mama.”

What a wonderful and addictive book. I had gotten this book years ago, I have read it to the kids so many times, I think we all know it show more by heart but the pictures and the words are so fun and so loving that it really does get read and read again. I love the pictures by Cyd Moore, they really portray the boys descriptions of his mythical self. I asked the kids for the best part, they said ‘all of it’ and then, ‘I didn’t like the dinosaur’. I love that the kids know that Mama loves the boy no matter what, just like most mothers (including me of course). show less

This is a silly and sweet take on books in which children demand reassurance of a parent's love. Through lovely illustrations and a gentle color palate, we see a young boy and his mother getting ready for bedtime. He presents various scenarios in which she might not love him: if he were a "super smelly skunk" or a dinosaur or any other number of scary creatures. She insists that she will always love him, "stinky face" and all. Although this story exists solidly in the "I will always love show more you" genre of children's books, the illustrations and subject matter (e.g. stinky skunks, vicious dinosaurs) give it a bit of an edge to similar books that consist solely of soft cuddly animals. show less

I love this book so much! It is definitely one of my favorite children’s books of all time; it completely melted my heart and drowned me in my own tears. Through this book, Lisa McCourt showed me how important it is to have a positive adult figure in your life, how rewarding breaking out of your comfort zone can be, and how a simple act of kindness can bear good fruit.
Yesterday, I read a funny quote: “Friends are God’s way of apologizing for your relatives.” I remembered this quote show more because it’s not true for the main character, Izzy. Izzy’s grandfather did volunteer work every Sunday and treated all the homeless and restless customers of the Family Togetherness Home with love and respect. He also played a crucial role in guiding Izzy to discover how to be a great friend. If anything, Izzy’s family members, at least her Grandpa Mike and mother, encourage and guide her to be the best person she can be.
Secondly, Izzy was nervous and awkward in her attempts to show kindness to Susan, who sat in the corner of a room with torn clothes and messy braids. However, Izzy sums up the courage to hand the Braids Girl a bowl of soup, assuming she was hungry and food was what she needed. Good-hearted Izzy continues to ponder over what she can do to provide for the Braids Girl’s needs and eventually realizes that all Susan wanted was for Izzy to see that she was a regular kid and become her friend. By cracking open her own heart, Susan learns how to become a better friend to someone she probably did not see herself befriending otherwise.
Finally, Izzy did not perform grand works to gain Susan’s friendship; all she did was hand Susan her soup, donate her old belongings, and ask for her name. By gifting Susan with a fragment of her heart, she was able to earn one of the best blessings available to man, which I think is friendship. show less

This is a surprising little book because at first glance it seems really light (due to its format and title) but it actually contains a surprising range of helpful and insightful information gleaned from various well-respected child development theorists. It's full of practical and humane tips about mealtime, tantrums, potty training, sleep, preschool, communication, etc. and I really think every parent of a toddler would gain something from reading it. I especially liked her comments on the show more issue of "spoiling" kids- basically she (along with Penelope Leach) argues not to fear spoiling your child because no amount of love, attention, physical affection, time spent, or even toys/gifts can be too much. "Spoiled" kids are actually quite lonely and deprived of parental attention and thus act out in a bullying/obnoxious manner but children who are showered with attention tend to in turn treat others (including their parents) with respect. show less