That's My Mum

by Henriette Barkow illustrated by Derek Brazell

Written in the first person, Mia tells us of her experience of being a child of mixed heritage. Find out how she and Kai overcome the prejudice of being judged by the color of their skin.  "A warm and simple story of how two children frustrated by others' assuming their Mums are their babysitters or their childminders, find a solution! Simple text and beautiful illustrations... provoke thought and discussion."  The Guide to Literacy Resources 2002   "An excellent book" Books for Keeps  Won Best New Picture Book by Child Education (Scholastic Ltd.) in 2002! To access lessons and activities that use this book, see our "Understanding and Appreciating Cultural Differences" lesson plan at the following link: http://www.languagelizard.com/lessonplans.htm Book Review: Both Kai and Mia look like their fathers, but not like their mothers. People always ask the two if they are with babysitters, when they are actually with their moms. The other children at school don’t believe Mia and Kai’s claims that the women are related to them, which the two find very upsetting. At first, they try to think of ways to look more like their mothers, but then they realize that they shouldn’t have to change. Finally, Mia and Kai find a creative way to tell the world, “That’s my mum!” Derek Brazell’s beautiful illustrations give color to each page, to the delight of readers old and young. They also help give younger children a better understanding of the story’s dual messages of self-confidence and open-mindedness.   Review written by Natalie Kunstadter From the June 2007 issue of Culture Connection Newsletter

Available in English with: Albanian, Bengali, Chinese, Czech, Farsi, German, Gujarati, Panjabi, Somali, Spanish, Turkish, Vietnamese

Ages: 3-8  Paperback Dimensions: 10.5w x 8.4h inches