Mother-Daughter Books that Rock

I’m at that stage of motherhood where everything seems to be the last time. With my eldest turning (gasp!) double-digits and my youngest believing she doesn’t need help with choosing her clothes, putting her hair up or painting her nails (double gasp! That's new carpet!) it’s clear we are in the midst of a momentous family transition.

Gone are the days of diapers and even spray parks and sidewalk chalk are starting to take a backseat. We are in a solid school-concerts-and-science-fairs-BFFs-and-sleepovers time of life. Is it just me, or is being a parent pretty much a combination of "I’m exhausted as hell yet I don’t want this time to end?"

So, when my youngest made me a lovely MOM necklace this weekend, I knew that it might be the last one. Can there really be many more upside-down W’s masquerading as M’s in the bead bag for me? Sadly, I don't think so. And so this necklace will be cherished and kept sacred for those days my daughters spend more time away from us than with us.

In honour of my excellent years mothering two beautiful young women, I am sharing two of our favourite mother-daughter picture book recommendations.

Mama Do You Love Me? by Barbara M. Joosse has amazing art inspired by the Inuit culture. I love how it captures a mother’s enduring love through even the most frustrating of days. The illustrator is Barbara Lavallee.
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The second, Someday by Alison McGhee has beautiful, clean writing to go with beautiful, clean illustrations. I can’t read it without my heart squeezing. The illustrator is Peter H. Reynolds.