Title: You Made Me a Mother

Author: Laurenne Sala

Illustrator: Robin Preiss Glasser

Publisher/Year: Harper/2016

Perfect For: New moms, Mother’s Day, baby showers, bedtime reading

This Mother’s Day, in honor of moms new and old, I bring you You Made Me a Mother. Now, I am not a mother (unless you count my fur baby), but I have a mother, so I put myself in her shoes as I read this sweet homage to motherhood. And though this book is clearly all about a mother’s unconditional love for her child, I came away with a feeling of greater appreciation and respect for my mother and all that she did for me and my five siblings. 

You Made Me a Mother follows a nervous new mom from pregnancy to birth and beyond. Through Sala’s sparse, yet moving text and Glasser’s endearing ink and watercolor illustrations, we can feel the bond between mother and child growing, even as we witness the child growing older. Most of their time spent together is joyous, but their bond strengthens even when times are difficult, even if she doesn’t have all of the answers.

You Made Me a Mother is the perfect shower gift or Mother’s Day gift for a new mom. Really, it’s perfect for all moms to share with their little ones at bedtime or anytime at all. Moms everywhere will tear up reading this one. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a father version sometime in the future.

Interesting Note: This book was adapted from a viral YouTube video of the same name.