Bridget Hamilton

I have always looked to nature in order to ground myself and find the simplest way of doing things. Since becoming a mother, I have often thought about how mothers in the animal kingdom have approached challenges with their young ones. The Wisdom of Moms captures these moments with stunning photography of animal mothers and children courtesy of talented photographers at National Geographic. The vivid photography is paired with inspirational quotes of life, love and motherhood, facts about show more the animals pictured and stories of how each mother accomplishes the amazing feat of motherhood.

One of my favorite stories of wisdom from the animal kingdom is of gorillas; so closely related to humans, I learned that gorilla babies spend the first five months connected to mom and nurses for up to three years. Thinking back to having a newborn, this very much mirrors my experience and would be a comfort to any new mom. Another inspiring story is of the capybara; in the capybara community any female can mother a capybara pup and all of the females help in raising the litter in a true sense of community. Lastly, one of my favorite quotes in the book comes with a picture of one of my favorite animals, the giraffe. Giraffe moms carry their baby in gestation for up to 15 months. Joyce Carol Oates sums up family life for us: " What is family, after all, except memories? -haphazard and precious as the contents of a catchall drawer in the kitchen."

A perfect Mother's Day Gift for a new mom, your mom or yourself!

This book was provided for free in return for an honest review. ​​ show less