Are You My Mother?
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Eastman, P. D. 1960. Are you my mother?. New York, NY: Random House. ISBN 9780394800189
PLOT SUMMARY
A baby bird hatches eager to meet his mother. When he doesn’t find her, he leaves the nest in a hurry to try and find out where she is. He asks many animals and objects if they are his mother, but none of them turn out to be his mother. In the end, one of those objects (a snort) drops him off in the nest where he started just in time to meet his mother.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Eastman creates a funny and sweet easy reader that invites repeated readings. The predictable phrases, “Are you my mother?, ____ is not my mother.” make it easy for students to feel confident joining in on the fun. The silly characters that the baby bird inquires after get more and more unbelievable until we finally get the feel-good ending of the baby bird meeting his mother.
The illustrations have many of the qualities of an easy reader; clear outlines, white backgrounds, and exaggerated expressions. The main color used throughout, brown, is feathered onto the pages. Red and yellow are also used sparingly. They become more prominent in the objects that are further and further from being the baby bird's mother.
These elements have helped this story remain a classic and are great reasons to continue sharing it with the next generation of readers.
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Reviewed in Book Links
Reviewed in Library Journal
CONNECTIONS
* This book can be used to lead discussions about patience, living and non-living things, and trust. Students can be asked about what would’ve happened if the bird had stayed in his nest from the beginning.
*Other books written and illustrated by P.D. Eastman can be gathered and evaluated. Students can discuss the key visual elements found in his illustrations, including his line work, his use of color, and the way he represents his characters.
*This easy reader would be great to echo read. Students quickly pick up on the repeated phrases and the structure of the story.
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