Mama, Do You Love Me? Reviews

• Great Message, Great Book

  
  By A11VNHAYW8N09A on 2001-07-27
  This story focuses on one simple question that every child thinks at one point or another. The question is whether their parents will always love them no matter what the child does. This story confirms for children young and old, that no matter what they do, their parents (mama) will still love them.

  The story is delightfully told from the perspective of the Intuit culture. The mischief the child creates deals with things that are unique to that culture such as accidentally dropping ptarmigan eggs, spilling the oil in the family's lamp, slipping an emrine in mama's mukluks or turning into a Walrus. My son and I enjoy talking about how different cultures live and what they believe and this book has started some fun conversations.

  I believe the story does not prompt children into asking the "wrong" question as mentioned in other reviews. The story promotes the idea of a parent's love and acceptance no matter what their little hellion does and does it with a wonderful story and captivating artwork. This has become one of our favorite books.
  
  

• What every child asks

  
  By ATDE9JYCPI0L1 on 2001-08-23
  "I don't like what you do, but I will always love you, no matter what," my mother sometimes said.

  Every child wonders, at times, if her parents love her. It is natural. This book provides necessary reassurance in more poetic language than my Mom's. "I will love you until the umiak flies into darkness, till the stars turn to fish in the sky, and the puffin howls at the moon."

  Whether adopted or born to their families, children need to know, "I will love you forever and for always, because you are my dear one."

  We have one copy of this special message for each child. Alyssa A. Lappen
  
  

• Beautiful pictures, wonderful message

  
  By on 1999-09-16
  I discovered this book at a friend's house. Even thought they had the book for only a few weeks, their five-year old had requested it so often, she already had the entire thing memorized!

  The pictures are absolutely beautiful, with wonderful details, and the text brought tears to my eyes. It is a wonderful, honest, reassuring discussion between a mother and child... that even though what the child does may, on occassion, make a parent angry, sad, or frightened, they will always be loved.
  
  

• My daughter and I love this book.

  
  By A612OI6NEAZRL on 1999-11-06
  Reading and re-reading this book with my daughter is one of the most wonderful memories I have of her toddler years. The beautiful artwork coupled with the simple, though satisfying, writing was almost bewitching to us. Years later, my daughter still quotes the book, and it makes me want to cry. This book is a great gift for any mother having a baby.
  
  

• Unconditional love for mean behavior?

  
  By ACT7L0N3V5M34 on 2000-11-22
  What an awful book. I see I'm the odd-ball in my opinion, but here it is: I was given this as a gift for my 4 year-old son. We read it last night, and as I got deeper and deeper into 'how badly can a child treat their parent and get away with it?' I was creeped-out and sickened.

  Yes, I want my son to know that if he accidentally does something wrong, it's OK and I still love him. But if he 'was the meanest bear I ever saw and...chased me into my tent and I cried?' then NO, that is not OK, and yes, that affects my feelings toward him.

  I want my son to learn that people like you when you do right and are kind. I'm sticking with simple concepts of right and wrong, with good and bad consequences. This book is out of my house!
  
  

• Comments from The Spiritual Reviewer
  By A3RMVNGBGWYQAM on 2003-05-30
  Love is the only thing that really matters! There's no mistaking the powerful allure of unconditional love in this young children's book, which has just been republished in a 10th anniversary commemorative edition.

  Mama, Do You Love Me? depicts an Inuit mother who loves her daughter, no matter what. Throughout the story the daughter repeatedly asks, "Mama, do you love me?" She comes up with many intriguing and playful reasons why the mother might be persuaded to withhold love. For example, what if the daughter broke the ptarmigan eggs? What if she put lemmings in her mother's mukluks? The mother does not hide or lie about her feelings. Sometimes she says she would be surprised, or angry, or scared, but these variable emotions do not change her love for her daughter. Her daughter is her Dear One, always and forever.

  This story is best suited for a young child, but it may also be interesting to anyone who's very keen on Alaska or Inuit life.

  This book received a score of 7.50 on a scale of (1) low to 10 (high) from The Spiritual Reviewer.
  
  

• What every child should know without a doubt!
  By A2W4BO3M0A1KPL on 2005-09-03
  This is such an awesome book! And even though my daughter is only 32 months old she already asks for this book by name! It's such a simple concept... no matter what you do, your parents love you. It is so important that children know this. Their actions might not be the best but that does not change a parents love for their child.
  
  I love the how each page is just focused on the Mama and her daughter & doll, that the artist choose just to have them alone on the page. I also like seeing different cultures and how they live, I think it is important for our children to see how other children live.
  
  My favorite pages are the last several ones... " What if I turned into a olar bear, and I was the meanest bear you ever saw and I had sharp, sharp teeth, and I chased you into your tentand you cried? Then I would be very surprised and very scared. But still, inside the bear you would be you, and I would love you. I will love you, forever and for always, because you are my Dear One.
  
  
• Love is unconditional
  By A27AQ4GSPCVB40 on 2000-03-23
  Kids are never too young to learn about other cultures. This book has beautiful illustrations showing native Alaskans in wonderful settings. The drawings attract just as much as the timeless tale of a mother's unconditional love for her child. It has great possibilities for opening discussions or for introducing pretending-type games. Best of all, it is all about love and there can never be too much of that.
  
  
• Wonderful for early reading skills
  By A2CIEHL7M5Z258 on 2000-09-12
  This book is a favorite! My daughter (now five) loves to hear it over and over again. Since all the words are spoken dialog, I read the mother's lines and she says the daughter's lines. When she was younger, she merely recited the words from memory. Now that she is starting to read, I point to the words as she says them and she looks at the words, too. She is starting to recognize words from the book when she sees them elsewhere.

  I also use the story to reinforce my own unconditional love for her. When she is doing something purposefully naughty, I'll say, "Katie, are you putting lemmings in my mukluks?" This usually generates a big grin as she realizes she is being just as silly as the little girl in the story - and that I love her just as much as the mommy in the story!
  
  

• Too much for the age level for which it's intended
  By AEGSX2YJ1EH0B on 2004-03-01
  There are about 10 words in this book I could not define without pulling out the dictionary. Heck..a few I can't even pronounce!
  I'm all for introducing children to different cultures (such as the Eskimo culture depicted in this book) but this book is intended for babies and toddlers, who are barely getting the hang of their own culture. By the time my child can read this book on her own, she won't ask, "Mama, do you love me?" She'll ask, "Mama, What's a ptmargin egg and a mukluk?"
  
  
• Just not for a little one...
  By A2YKQAI02VM1LC on 2001-03-25
  I purchased this book for my unborn child, and well, to say the least I was extremely disappointed and WILL NOT be reading it to him/her... first of all there are many terms and such that a little one just won't understand... second of all I do not agree with the concepts in this story... it is a little bit mean in some of it's ideas... yes it is good in it's aspect of introducing another culture, but at the young age this book is intended for... will the baby really understand all that... I hope that other customers won't make the same mistake I did in purchasing this book when there are much better ones out there...
  
  
• Child/Parent Bond is a Privilege
  By ANN0MYA534UQK on 2002-03-12
  Yes, this book deals with a mother and her young daughter, but as the mother of two sons, ages 3 and 5, my boys are mesmerized with the beauty of the simplicity, tenderness, and love displayed through the beautiful illustrations and endearing but simple, child-friendly words...thumbs up to both this empathetic author and her talented illustrator!
  
  
• A winner!
  By on 2002-12-10
  This book is one of my favorites for preschoolers (and even for older children--my first grade students enjoyed it, too). To address some of the concerns other reviewers had: this book is about unconditional love--so, yes, the mother continues to love the little girl, regardless of what she does. If you're not teaching your children that you'll love them unconditionally, whether they're good or bad, then this isn't the book for you. And, yes, this book is about another culture--which is what makes it such an invaluable addition to a child's library. The young children I've known have not found the foreign concepts obstacles to understanding what the book is about: love is a universal concept. Your children will learn according to what you expose them to, particularly in the preschool years, when they are constantly expanding their vocabularies and knowledge of the world. To presume that this book (and others like it) will be over children's heads simply because the world is not one with which they are already familiar is to seriously understimate their intelligence! Understanding other cultures lays the groundwork for understanding and appreciating other people, whether they are like you or not--a skill I hope all parents would like to impart to their children.
  
  
• Good book for boy or girl
  By A2IJ63W4PEE9OT on 2004-06-01
  I was a little put off by the idea that this is a "great book for mothers and daughters". Just because the child in the story is a girl does not mean that this book is not for boys too. My three year old son loves this book and so do I!
  
  
• What a wonderful way to introduce children to a new culture!
  By on 1998-09-21
  Mama, Do You Love Me? presents a beautiful representation of Alaska and its peoples in a comforting and familiar context, the relationship of child to her mother. Beautiful illustrations and entertaining information will enchant adults as well as children. I'm surprised it hasn't recieved any awards!
  
  
• Wonderful Bedtime Message
  By A1PGBKDHMUX8F2 on 2002-01-05
  I was so excited when this book arrived, I immediately read it to my 6 month baby girl. She enjoyed it so much (as much as a 6 mo. could) I read it twice! The story is wonderful and the illustrations are beautiful - what more could you ask!
  
  
• Mama, do you love me?
  By A3EJFZXZ4I0J8B on 2005-12-07
  I love this book and so does my 14 month old son. He loves the story and the illustrations. He sits "still" with me while I read it to him at his nap time and bed time and cries if I quit reading it. It is nice quiet, bonding time for us(he doesn't sit still for much). I feel it is suitable for his age and for when he is older. It has a great message. I highly recommend this book to everyone!
  
  
• Great book for both toddler and parent
  By on 2000-03-01
  We bought this in Alaska for our 18mo. old son and it's one of his favorite books as well as one of mine. The book introduces unusual animals and clothing (parkas, muk luks, puffins, musk ox, etc) as it tells a story of a little girl asking her mother if she'll still be loved if she were to do mischevious behaviors or turn into an animal. The book reassures the child that she will always be loved even if the behavior makes the mother angry, sad, or scared. A beautifully illustrated reassuring story.
  
  
• Maybe in a couple or years....
  By AEEMMD7IDIF3S on 2000-03-27
  I bought this when my daughter was 6 mos (she's now 2), we cant make it through this book! The story is a little long, definitely NOT simple (although it is beautiful, a mothers love is unconditional). The illustrations are ok, not catchy enough for the younger set. The text is definitely multicultural, ermine, mukluks, frankly its a little hard to read. The overall feeling of this book is BEAUTIFUL, and I trully hope that we'll enjoy it in the future. Just not now.
  
  
• Beautiful pictures and concepts
  By on 1999-06-14
  My parents have recently returned from a holiday in Alaska where they bought this book for my one year old daughter. What a beautiful way to introduce a culture so different from our own. So many different animals, items of clothing and everyday activities to learn about while expressing a universal truth that applies to families worldwide. I'm sure this book will provide many years of enjoyment as it is revisited on different levels throughout my daughter's childhood. My favourite line is about the lemmings in mukluks. We don't find many of those in Australia!
  
  
• This is one of our all time favorites
  By on 2000-09-01
  We have been reading this book to our 19mo daughter for at least 8 months. It is one of her favorite books. The message, tone, and look of the book are all so comforting. A child cannot be told to often that he/she is loved unconditionally. This book conveys the message in such a beautiful way. I wish there were 6 stars in the rating system, I would have used them all.
  
  
• Unconditional Love
  By A3L04QHEFI918O on 2001-11-08
  I love this book! The illustrations are amazing. My children are always engrossed in this book whenever it is read. They enjoy looking at the "sub" pictures within the picture. ie: looking for the stuffed animal, the animals and the Inuit symbol on the page. I cannot read this book without a tear in my eye and an extra long hug for my children. I have since bought this book for many other people because I love this message.
  
  
• Children are allowed to ask questions...
  By A17GTGSS2E5QN0 on 2003-09-19
  This book is a great example of a child probing for answers. "Mama, Do You Love Me?" allows a child to seek out the boundaries of a mother's love. It touches upon cause and effect, with the chid daring the mother to still love even if she does the most horrible things. The mother's response is that although she would be sad, she would still love her child.
  
  I thought this book was a great teaching tool to say, "I love you, my child, even when you do things that are not so nice."
  
  
• Most touching children's book
  By A33BJ25A2RYSOS on 2005-01-05
  Let me echo the sentiment that children learn what we teach them; no matter how foreign it may be to us, they can grasp any idea we throw their way. Cultural issues aside, I find this the most touching young children's book I have encountered for its completely unaffected demonstration of motherly affection. And truly, the illustrations enrich the beauty of the text. For the first time in my life I purchased a book for the sole purpose of dismantling it because I wanted a framed image over my daughters' bed daily pronouncing, "I will love you forever and for always because you are my dear one." Always the best gift for new mothers!
  
  
• Good book, but...
  By A6HXFDIC7DVTC on 2005-04-02
  The mother is honest in her replies. I'd be angry, I'd be scared, I'd be surprised - but I would still love you. And I don't find the "hard to define" terms so hard to define - this is what illustrations are for.
  
  However, it is a bit long for a young child. You might be better off waiting until they're old enough to sit through it, and even understand what "love me" means.
  
  
• AWESOME BOOK
  By A2ZY0SLDVEQ3DX on 2005-09-22
  I love this book! It is my favorite. I use to read it all the time when I was little. Now I read it to my daughter everyday.
  
  
• An incredibly reassuring and beautiful book.
  By on 1997-03-23
  I am a psychotherapist who works primarily with adults, but I put this book on my waiting room table. It presents unconditional love in wonderful, understandable terms, and is a model for how parents should treat their children as well as for how people should treat themselves. Jane Mattes, C.S.W.
  
  
• A mother sharing her unconditional love for her child
  By on 2001-10-06
  Both my daughter and I share this truly heart felt book together and feel the same way about so many other things that go on around our lives. We cry, laugh and bond as we read through the pages. The art work is fabulous and it is truly enjoyed in our home. We will tresure our memories shared thorouhout the years and pass this book along the generations.
  
  
• We love this book!
  By on 2002-10-11
  We ordered the board book version of this book, and we read it over and over again. Beautiful illustrations, and an enjoyable read. Also a very positive message about unconditional love.
  
  
• Should a child ask a mother, "Do you love me?"
  By ATYMSKOZGNF89 on 2001-05-11
  Children should not even THINK to ask this question, and I feel that this book might encourage a child to wonder (or worry) about whether or not his/her mother loves him/her. I do not recommend this book at all!
  
  

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