Where's My Mom?

Yesterday I helped out at the Read-a-Thon at the state capitol. Representatives took turns reading to preschool groups, while the library and several other organizations had activity tables. I have to admit that some of those congress members had some reading skills. They asked questions and even made a few animal noises.

Where's My Mom?, by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, is a good book for conversation. If your child were to be separated from you and had to describe you to someone who was helping them look for you, what would they say?

A lost little monkey tries to do just that for a well-meaning butterfly. When the monkey says his mother is bigger than him, the butterfly brings him to an elephant. No, no. When the little monkey says his mother's tail coils around a tree, the butterfly brings him to a snake. On and on until we actually see the elephant again.

Finally the monkey says his mother looks like him, only bigger. The butterfly hadn't figured this since his babies don't look like him. They're caterpillars.

Can you believe the butterfly gets it wrong again, but everyone is reunited in the end. You'll have to see why.

This is a good discussion starter. Pair this book with a picture book of animals and ask what the different animals have in common. This would also be a good opportunity to talk about what to do when you're lost.