MAMA: a TRUE story, in which a BABY HIPPO loses his MAMA during a TSUNAMI, but finds a new home, and a new MAMA - Hardcover

JEANETTE WINTER has written and illustrated many books for children, including The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq, Calavera Abecedario: A Day of the Dead Alphabet Book, My Name Is Georgia, and Josefina. She lives in New York City.

K-Gr. 2. Like The Librarian of Basra (2005), Winter's newest picture book presents a true story drawn from troubling world events--with equally mixed results. The text consists almost entirely of the word mama, murmured in contentment by a baby hippo in the idyllic opening spreads, then wailed in terror as the baby and its mother become separated during a tsunami. When the baby is delivered to a wildlife preserve, it adopts a giant tortoise as its surrogate parent; an endnote explains that a similar episode occurred during the 2004 Indonesian tsunami. Though Winter's winsome animals and thickly applied jewel tones will attract youngsters, the depictions of the separation are stark, showing the hippos swamped by the obliterating wave and crying out in desperation: "Baby?!" "Mama!" The suggestion that mothers can easily be replaced--particularly troubling in a sequence showing the baby greeting the tortoise as "Mama!" the moment they meet--will likewise strike many children amiss, despite a poignant closing image indicating that the hippo's bond with its true mama will never really^B be severed. This will succeed best when shared by an adult who knows both book and child well. It may be of even keener interest, though, to illustration students, who will admire Winter's bold narrative choices and emulate her sure design sense, even as the question of audience engenders heated debate. Jennifer Mattson
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