Anna Dewdney (1965–2016)

As I read it with my little one, I remembered that exact moment when my older child first read a whole sentence by himself - that proud little smile, those shining eyes. Llama's journey from frustration to joy mirrors exactly what we went through, and it's helping my younger one stay motivated on those tough reading days.

As a teacher working with children who struggle with emotional regulation, I find this book to be an amazing addition to the classroom. It deals with feelings of frustration, which many of my students experience. Llama Llama's relatable emotions would resonate with my kids, prompting important discussions about how to express feelings in healthy ways, such as using words instead of resorting to tantrums and physical outbursts. I’ve read this many times to my own boys at home as well.

Even though this is a children's board book, I am including it in my adult shelf. Because I think this book might have saved my bacon.

My two-year-old has not been sleeping well. She fights off sleep at bedtime, asking for "more song" and "mama sleeps too" and "mama sit," and no matter that I do what she asks, she immediately wants the opposite. And heaven help me if I just *leave the room*. But when a different family member takes the point on naptime or bedtime, she lays down quietly and show more falls asleep on her own. It was pretty clear to me that it was something about Mama -- either her knowledge that if Mama said it, it would be so, and she's in a period of exercising her independence, or an anxiety over Mama being "not right here." The fraught bedtime translates in to a fraught night. Waking up after just a couple hours, and spending a couple hours wanting to redo the bedtime routine. Lots of tears.

Llama Llama Red Pajama is the story of Baby Llama, in his red pajamas, who reads a story with his Mama Llama....you get the idea. Mama Llama goes downstairs to get a cup of water for Baby, and is distracted by dishes and a phone call. Baby Llama freaks out that Mama Llama is GONE. Mama Llama rushes back in a frenzy and reassures Baby Llama that "Mama Llama's always near, even if she's not *right here*."

Girl Child was entranced by this book. Her favorite page, of course, is the one where Mama Llama comes back. As Child and Daddy read this story together at bedtime (after I'd already read it twice with her), I deliberately went in and out of her room as much as possible sorting laundry and picking up toys to illustrate that Mama always comes back when she leaves. And then the bedtime routine began.

She climbed in bed. We sang one bedtime song. She asked for another. I said I was going to go sit with Daddy for five minutes and if she was awake when I came back, we'd sing another song. She nodded. I went, set a timer, and then returned. She was awake, so we sang a song. She asked for another and I said I'd be back in five minutes. She nodded. I went and set the timer again. After five minutes, I went in and rubbed her back. I don't know if she was awake or asleep. I suspect awake. But she didn't make a peep and she slept straight through til 6:30 this morning. We are going to try for a repeat of this miracle tonight. Our first solid night of sleep in OVER TWO WEEKS! show less

Llama Llama Misses Mama is a sweet and relatable story that captures the emotions of a young llama on his first day of school. When Mama Llama drops him off, he feels scared and lonely at first, but soon discovers that school can be fun and full of friends.
I love reading this story to my kindergartners during the first week of school. It helps them see that it’s okay to miss their families and that school can be a warm and happy place, too.