The Best Mother

Description

When Maxine wakes up on the wrong side of the bed one morning, she wonders if the problem might be her mother. What if she could try out a new mom who doesn't make her brush her teeth or comb her hair? Enlisting Mom to help her with the search, Maxine interviews various prospects to be her new mother at the park, the toy store, and the zoo. Unfortunately, these other mothers present a host of new problems and concerns. Maybe her "old mother" was the best mother of all? For every child who's ever wondered if the grass is greener, The Best Mother affirms that there's nothing better than your own mother's love.

C. M. Surrisi holds an MFA from Vermont College in children's literature and is the author of the middle-grade novel The Maypop Kidnapping. She lives in Asheville, North Carolina. Diane Goode has illustrated more than 50 beloved and critically acclaimed picture books, including the New York Times bestseller Founding Mothers and the Caldecott Honor book When I Was Young in the Mountains.

"After another morning of face washing, teeth brushing, and hair combing, Maxine decides she's had enough - and informs her mother that she's decided to look for a new mother. (Since she can't drive, her "old mother" will of course have to help.) At the park, the toy store, and the zoo, Maxine asks new mother candidates how they would respond to different situations, but none of them is just right. In fact, Maxine realizes, there's only one mother who's done every single thing she asked about... With expressive illustrations and a storyline that will get readers chuckling, this "what if" story is sure to be a favorite." -- A Mighty Girl