Mama, Do You Love Me?

I really enjoyed this book for several reasons. First, the illustrations are vibrant, detailed and enhance the meaning of the story. Through the pictures the reader can gather that the mother and daughter in the story are from an Eskimo culture. The dresses both mother and daughter wear have native patterns and they both have long, dark hair in braids. The animals pictured are also animals that would typically live in cold, northern areas such as bears, wolves and walruses. In most of the pictures you can see a lot of snow as well! These provide really great context clues for younger readers and allow them to visualize a culture they might have never heard of before. They could also make predictions about what ethnicity the characters show more are.
The structure of the book was very easy to follow and read. Although it wasn’t exactly a poem, each page featured three to four brief lines that flowed really easily. The repetition of the mom stating “I would still love you” even after the daughter lists many crazy scenarios that might make the mom angry reinforces the main idea of the story.
I also really liked the language in the book because it was appropriate for the culture of the characters. For example, the daughter asked if her mother would still love her even if she “put salmon in your parka, ermine in your mittens and lemmings in your mukluks”. The book provides a glossary at the end of the book where readers can learn about all of the different vocabulary used in the book! This is extremely helpful for people who do not know much about the Eskimo and Inuit culture.
The main message of the story is that a mother’s love is unconditional. However, the fact that the story incorporated many aspects, pictures and vocabulary of the characters’ Inuit culture makes the story engaging and interesting for the readers! show less

If you want a book that will tug at your heartstrings, this is the one.

Not recommended for Moms who read books to their sweet three year olds before bed time. You might not make it through this one.

Imo, the cover is unfortunate, as it's rather dark and somber. I suppose it's intended to let readers know that this would make a good bedtime story - which is true.

Oh but I'm so glad I opened it and saw the bright joy inside! Just lovely. The rhythm of the text was so marvelous I corralled my teen son and read it aloud to him, and I really enjoyed how the dialogue (no narration!) sounded out loud in the two (no other characters!) voices. And when we got to the end we were both impressed by the notes about traditional & modern Inuit culture. We decided to get a copy for his (still hypothetical) child(ren).

If you're still not sure you want to investigate it, consider that it's a lot like [b:The Runaway Bunny|58922|The Runaway show more Bunny|Margaret Wise Brown|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348411757s/58922.jpg|2039654] by [a:Margaret Wise Brown|18479|Margaret Wise Brown|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1208465845p2/18479.jpg] but more engaging, relevant, and artistic. show less

Mama, Do You Love Me is the story of a young Inuit girl and her mother. Throughout the story the daughter asks her mother how much and to what extend she loves her. The mother uses vivid native references to explain that she loves her child unconditionally.

I enjoyed this book because it reminded me of how precious my own children are to me. The description and illustrations of the Inuit way of life and surroundings introduced me to many new things, but also demonstrated the close bond between Inuit families.

In the classroom, children would use this book from a multicultural stand point. It would be a great tool to use when talking about Alaska and other Arctic areas. This book would also be used to demonstrate the unconditional love show more and care parents have for their children. Around Mother's Day I would read this to my class and have them create a picture of their Mother or Grandmother and something they enjoy doing with that loved one. show less

I really enjoyed reading this book for 3 reasons. The first reason I liked this book was because of the language used. The story is set from the perspective of a Native American family, and the daughter is asking their mother some hypothetical scenarios to see if their mom would still love them. Due to the cultural, throughout the story there are unique examples according to Native American traditions and experiences. For instance, one example used was “what if I put salmon in your parka, ermine in your mittens, and lemmings in your mukluks?” This language is unique to the specific cultural community, which is interesting to the reader. I think that this enhances the message, which is the second reason why I like this book. I think show more that readers may be challenged to have some deeper thinking. No matter what hypothetical scenario the daughter comes up with, the mother maintains that though she may get angry, or upset, or anything else because of what she did, she will never stop loving her. This is a great message for children that their parents or grandparents will always love them no matter what. The final reason I liked this story was because of the characters. There is a mother and a daughter and they have a very close relationship. This is something that a lot of readers will be able to relate to. The message of the story is about the unconditional love and forgiveness of a family. show less

An Alaskan Native child asks her mother questions about her love all of which have something to do with Alaskan wild life and scenery in a time before modernity. The author uses a style which is easy for children to follow and fun for adults to read. The questions the child ask are a test of if and how much the mother loves her daughter. In the hilarious and heart warming story the young character learns that there is no limit to her mothers love.

Synopsis: A young girl asks her Mother "Do you love me" and gives increasingly wild situations in which she might test her mothers love

Review: The characters and story use the Inuit Culture as a basis, and the art is done in a stylize way. The story is sweet and cute, and answers a big question children often have. Perfect for young children (2-5), the pictures are colorful and well done and the story is both silly and sweet.