Roald Dahl's The Witches, illustrated by Quentin Blake
Mother’s Day is this Sunday in the US, which has me thinking about mothers and motherly figures in kids’ books. The good ones, the bad ones, the indifferent ones, the weird ones, the absent ones.
For me, one of the most memorable moms in children’s literature is actually a grandma — the “Grandmamma” in Roald Dahl's The Witches. In Dahl’s books, good parents are hard to come by. Parental figures are often absent or bad (like Mr. & Mrs. Wormwood in Matilda); grandparents, on the other hand, are highly regarded (like Grandpa Joe & Grandma Josephine in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory). The grandmother in The Witches is no conventional little old lady. She’s an eccentric and imaginative storyteller, often imparting wisdom through a thick cloud of cigar smoke. She’s a fighter, an adventurer — she even lost a thumb in a witch fight (so we think)! And (spoiler), when the witches permanently turn the young boy into a mouse, Grandmamma remains there for him as his loving companion.
“It doesn't matter who you are or what you look like, so long as somebody loves you.” — Roald Dahl, The Witches
A few other memorable moms:
Mrs. Quimby in the “Ramona” series by Beverly Cleary, Nana in Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love, Mrs. Velvet Paw in No Kiss for Mother by Tomi Ungerer, the mother bunny in The Runaway Bunny written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd, Miss Honey in Matilda by Roald Dahl, the (never seen only heard) mother in Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, the stepmother in Hansel and Gretel, Grandma Bigmama (more as a place than as a character) in Bigmama’s by Donald Cruz, and Nanny in Eloise written by Kay Thompson and illustrated by Hilary Knight.
I’m forgetting so many! Tell me:
Who’s the most memorable mother or mother figure in children’s literature for you?
Ohhh this really made me think...and gosh we need to do a better job of representing moms in children's literature because it was really hard to think of one that is the most memorable in a POSITIVE way! I'm deep in Harry Pottery land, and I gotta say Molly Weasley...for how she supported her kids AND Harry.
I actually am having a hard time thinking of one which has sent me on a funny spiral about how many childrens books really are centered around parental loss. The mama rocking her grown son in Love Your Forever obviously rings a bell but I’m going to have to ruminate on this more abs keep my ear out when reading to the kids!
I’ve been thinking a lot about this. This likely isn’t the most memorable mom, but she’s my favorite. A kindred spirit! Dory’s mom in the Dory Fantasmagory series. You see her in all her mom glory: she loves her kids, she’s overwhelmed, her kids make her laugh, she’s helping the kids navigate conflict, she’s frustrated, she’s funny. You see a fully fleshed out person reflected on the pages which is so refreshing.
I have to agree with Ginny and say that the mom in Love You Forever is so epic. I literally can not read the book all the way through. My voice cracks and breaks and I inevitably break down and cry. Runaway Bunny mama is also one that stuck with me as a child. P.D. Eastman's Are You My Mother was another one of my very favorites when I was young. I also always loved the mother in Good Dog Carl series. Then as I got older in grade school I was more fascinated with characters who had been orphaned or lost their parents somehow and were taken in by these other wonderful people. The American Girls Samantha who lives with her stern grandmother, but especially Anne of Green Gables. She starts off as this super stern, always by the rules, no room for niceness person, but she sees how Anne needs love and she gives it in such lovely ways. She also ends up standing up for her when other adults question her spirited, fanciful ways, which I really loved. And of course I can't not mention Harry Potter :). Yes he has a HORRIBLE aunt who ends up as his care taker after his parent's death, but he is very quickly found and cared for by Molly Weasly (Ron's mom). I always loved seeing how she supported and cared for him even if he wasn't her own son.
Ms. Honey is a very memorable storybook mother figure but also the mom in Love You Forever and honorable mention to the tree in The Giving Tree- the ultimate embodiment of unconditional love 😭
I always relate to the mother in Olivia, who reminds me of my own spirited daughter who tells her - you know you really wear me out but I love you. It’s kinda nice to hear parents speak like real parents in books!
Ohhh this really made me think...and gosh we need to do a better job of representing moms in children's literature because it was really hard to think of one that is the most memorable in a POSITIVE way! I'm deep in Harry Pottery land, and I gotta say Molly Weasley...for how she supported her kids AND Harry.
Ole Golly from Harriet the Spy!
The mom from I Love You Forever! 😭 I still can barely get through that book without crying.
I actually am having a hard time thinking of one which has sent me on a funny spiral about how many childrens books really are centered around parental loss. The mama rocking her grown son in Love Your Forever obviously rings a bell but I’m going to have to ruminate on this more abs keep my ear out when reading to the kids!
I’ve been thinking a lot about this. This likely isn’t the most memorable mom, but she’s my favorite. A kindred spirit! Dory’s mom in the Dory Fantasmagory series. You see her in all her mom glory: she loves her kids, she’s overwhelmed, her kids make her laugh, she’s helping the kids navigate conflict, she’s frustrated, she’s funny. You see a fully fleshed out person reflected on the pages which is so refreshing.
I'm a huge fan of The Country Bunny. Reentering the work force after 21 babies? Swift, kind and quick. She does it all.
I love Peter’s mom in The Snowy Day. She takes off his wet socks after his adventures. So nurturing.
I have to agree with Ginny and say that the mom in Love You Forever is so epic. I literally can not read the book all the way through. My voice cracks and breaks and I inevitably break down and cry. Runaway Bunny mama is also one that stuck with me as a child. P.D. Eastman's Are You My Mother was another one of my very favorites when I was young. I also always loved the mother in Good Dog Carl series. Then as I got older in grade school I was more fascinated with characters who had been orphaned or lost their parents somehow and were taken in by these other wonderful people. The American Girls Samantha who lives with her stern grandmother, but especially Anne of Green Gables. She starts off as this super stern, always by the rules, no room for niceness person, but she sees how Anne needs love and she gives it in such lovely ways. She also ends up standing up for her when other adults question her spirited, fanciful ways, which I really loved. And of course I can't not mention Harry Potter :). Yes he has a HORRIBLE aunt who ends up as his care taker after his parent's death, but he is very quickly found and cared for by Molly Weasly (Ron's mom). I always loved seeing how she supported and cared for him even if he wasn't her own son.
Ms. Honey is a very memorable storybook mother figure but also the mom in Love You Forever and honorable mention to the tree in The Giving Tree- the ultimate embodiment of unconditional love 😭
I always relate to the mother in Olivia, who reminds me of my own spirited daughter who tells her - you know you really wear me out but I love you. It’s kinda nice to hear parents speak like real parents in books!