A Special Day for Mommy [With Free Greeting Card]

Little Pig sets out to surprise her mommy on her special day, but in the process, she leaves a trail of mess for mommy to take care of. In the end, Mommy loves all of her treats, despite the work. The reader never finds out just why this was mommy's special day, leaving you free to use the story for a number of ocassions-- Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, or even a birthday. The illustrations are simple and uncluttered, yet have interesting detail, as in the rust stains seeping down the walls of the basement and the colored dots on the bread wrapper, reminiscent of Wonder bread. The book comes with a free greeting card, blank inside, that any child will be happy to sign for an instant "I love you." A Special Day For Mommy is aimed at ages 3 to 6, and will make a wonderful read aloud for all mommys and daddys to read to their children.

"Mommy" and her daughter burst out of a circular frame on the book's cover, in one of many oblique tributes to Porky Pig and the spirit of early animation. There's a real 40's feeling to this book, with its thickly three-dimensional interior objects that look like they're made from marshmallows and foam rubber. While it's true that there's not a tremendous amount of action in the story, the oversized objects, the images of globby glue and jam spilling on the floor, the strewn toilet paper, and the smiling eyes on the faces of the watchful clock and the framed duck painting give this book an emotive quality full of real and potential energy. I think it will hold the attention of the toddlers for which it was intended. The story is simple but heartfelt and recognizable. It's Mother's day in pig suburbia, and the little pig girl (or boy, it's kinda difficult to tell) wants to treat Mommy on her special day. The adorable little pig's desires are greater than her skill,; however, and such surprises as breakfast in bed, a homemade greeting, and a cake turn out, well, badly. The mother, in a familiar motif, winds up doing more than she normally would as she somewhat secretly cleans up behind her child. It's touching, because both Mother and little pig are showing their love for each other, whether it's the little one tearing out the planted daffodils ("Mommy loves yellow daffodils. I know because she planted them all around the house") or the Mom cleaning the messy house or the messy piglet who spilled everything! Some of the scenes are a bit jumpy, you have to infer that the little pig did something to make breakfast in bed turn into breakfast on the floor beside the bed (maybe the pig excitedly jumped up and down). If you're prepared for these few discontinuities beforehand, you can have fun with your audience by asking, "Now how do you suppose that happened?" This is a funny and fun book that shows how even the best-laid plans of pigs and people often go awry, but need not diminish the thought and effort that went into them. Dan Andreasen's pastel colors shows a real warmth between the two porcine ones, and his setting is a simple, uncomplicated one where pigs--not possessions--matter most. There's a real warmth evoked by the look of the 40's and the old-fashioned look of claymation and the stylizations of the 1940's. An excellent book for the young toddler set.

This is one of my 3 year olds favorite books. We read it a least every-other day and he always loves it. After we read the book we have to "act it out" he pretends to make me breakfast, make a card with hearts on it, while mimicking what the little pig says..."no peeking Mommy"..."Did I surprise you Mommy?" The pictures are great and very cute.