The Best Picture Books about Moms for Mother's Day
It’s almost Mother’s Day, and I’m here to help you celebrate the amazing moms in your lives the best way that I know how - with our very favorite picture books. Whether you’re on the hunt for a good gift for your mom, or you just want to share a special story celebrating the relationship between mother and child with your kids - the books on this list come highly recommended from our family.
This dad knows that moms do A LOT, and they deserve much more adoration than a one-day celebration. But it’s good to have a set day for all of us to reflect on the impact that our mothers have made on our lives - and to celebrate moms all over the best that we can.
Picture books have always struck me as a great way to celebrate meaningful occasions and powerful emotions - especially if books have a special place in your heart. My own mother read several of the books on this list to me when I was little, and now my wife and I read them to our own children. In many cases they are the very same copies I had growing up - and of course that makes them all the more special and meaningful.
Let’s face it, there is no shortage of picture books about moms. There are tons more books about moms than dads. But I’d argue that the average quality of picture books about dads seems to be higher, and boiling down a list of high-quality mom books was a slightly more difficult task. After all, making a book list on Dad Suggests always means that it’s one of our family’s favorite picture books, period - not just any old book that fits a topic.
Of course it’s a matter of personal preference, but I’m not particularly attracted to overly-sentimental, generic books about never-ending love presented through clichés. I’m not pointing any fingers, but everybody knows the picture books I’m talking about. There are certainly plenty of those to be found if that’s what you’re looking for. I love the books on this list for their originality, their memorable art, and for their ability to elicit true emotion by tapping into very specific and personal feelings about moms.
I hope our list will help you find a new book to share with your mother or your children this Mother’s Day. And rest assured that all of these books stand on their own two feet and make great permanent additions to our bookshelves. They’re funny, they’re scary, they’re heartfelt, and they get love a lot more often than just once a year. Just like all our moms should!
Disclosure: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links. Clicking on these links will lead you to view the books’ listings on websites like Amazon or IndieBound.
The Best Picture Books about Moms
14. Is Your Mama a Llama?
Written by Deborah Guarino and Illustrated by Steven Kellogg
There are two very great things about this book. The first thing is obviously the illustrations by Kellogg. He’s one of the best of all time and his art has such a unique look. For me it really defines a generation of picture books.
The other wonderful thing about Is Your Mama a Llama? is that it’s basically a book of riddles - where you are supposed to guess the name of the animals. The answers are kind of tipped off by the illustrations and the rhymes, but they aren’t supposed to be incredibly difficult riddles. They function more as an interactive element to the story, getting your kids to shout out the animal names before the page turn - and the kids just love it.
13. Mama, Do You Love Me?
Written by Barbara M. Joosse and Illustrated by Barbara Lavallee
Now I know I said I don’t generally go crazy for overly-sentimental books about moms loving their kids - but Mama, Do You Love Me? transcends that genre in two ways - its setting and its humor. The story is set in an Inuit village, and it stars a child who is basically testing her mother’s love. And the beautiful art featuring the Inuit culture is definitely a highlight.
Similar to the classic The Runaway Bunny, this kid is testing the limits of her mother’s love, and the mother is always up to the task. The major difference is the humor in the child’s questions. “What if I turned into a polar bear, and I was the meanest bear you ever saw and I had sharp, shiny teeth, and I chased you into your tent and you cried?” It’s very funny how far she tries to push her limits with her mom.
12. Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too?
Written and Illustrated by Eric Carle
It’s hard not to be a big fan of Eric Carle’s one-of-a-kind artwork, and Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother Too? is obviously no exception. But what endears this one to us the most probably has more to do with the fact that we are huge animal lovers.
The story is organized in a way that shows a wide range of different animals in the world - and they all have their own mothers. The animal rights activist deep in my heart loves this book because the important message is not buried very deep - all the animals of the world are very deserving of our empathy. And the last line is really beautiful: “Animal mothers love their babies, just as yours loves you.”
11. This is My Dad
Written by Dimity Powell and Illustrated by Nicky Johnston
Looks like I slipped up and added a Father’s Day book by mistake, right? No, in fact This Is My Dad is in just the right place. This wonderful little book is about a boy named Leo that doesn’t have a dad because he’s raised by a single mother. The problem is that his school is about to celebrate one of those innocuous-seaming Dad Days that schools still so often do. And it’s all-too-easy to forget how that might feel for someone raised by a single mom, or their grandparents, or two moms.
So what this book actually turns out to be is a sweet celebration of the love between Leo and his mom. It’s actually perfect for Mother’s Day - ESPECIALLY if you have a single mom to celebrate. In fact, you could even give the gift to her on Father’s Day as well. It’s a great story and it’s wonderful to see several glimpses of Leo and his mother’s relationship. “The perfect dad isn’t always a father” reads the subtitle of this book - and that’s a great interpretation for celebrating whoever it is that plays this role in our lives.
10. My Mama is a Mechanic
Written and Illustrated by Doug Cenko
My Mama is a Mechanic has two major themes at its heart. First of all, it tackles gender stereotypes. The title, when viewed alongside the companion book My Papa is a Princess, seems to be chosen deliberately to point out that moms and dads, and everybody, can be whatever they want to be.
The other theme on display in this book is one of my favorites - playing with your kids and using your imagination. The entire book is about a boy playing with his mother. On one page is what everything looks like in his imagination, and on the next page is what they are actually doing. By far my favorite job for mom is “hot lava rescuer”. It’s a fantastic concept and one that highlights one of our favorite things to talk about on Dad Suggests - the child’s imagination.
9. Mom and Me, Me and Mom
Written and Illustrated by Miguel Tanco
Mom and Me, Me and Mom is a special book that very deftly highlights the seemingly insignificant moments of being a parent that have so much meaning. The way that Tanco pairs his illustrations with his words is done with such incredible skill - and the end result is a beautiful reminder of the amazing gift it is to be a parent.
Children are our connection to the innocence of childhood - a time that is often long forgotten. Parents all over are very lucky to have such special little humans in their lives that see the world so differently. The companion book about dads - Me and You, You and Me - is just as remarkable. And they both do a great job reminding me why we’re lucky to call ourselves moms and dads.
8. Everything is MAMA
Written by Jimmy Fallon and Illustrated by Miguel Ordóñez
Everything is MAMA and its companion Your Baby’s First Word will be DADA are both hilarious. Our 4-year-old daughter cracks up on every single page. The animals and their big eyes are also adorable, and they are obviously a very big portion of the character of this book.
The general idea here is a lot of repetition, which, when done right, can make kids laugh a lot. In this case, all these animal babies think that everything is MAMA. We don’t know if it’s the only word they know, or if it’s just the only thing they want to say, or if mom is just the only thing in the world they care about. But it’s probably all of the above. And dads everywhere can probably relate. The ending is definitely very sweet though: “Everything is Mama according to you, but one day you’ll see, Mama’s everything is you.”
7. My Mama Says there aren’t any Zombies, Ghosts, Vampires, Creatures, Demons, Monsters, Fiends, Goblins, or Things
Written by Judith Viorst and Illustrated by Kay Chorao
I think it’s safe to say that if a well-made spooky picture book fits with a theme, it stands a very good chance of making one of my lists. And this book has one of the most epic picture book titles of all time: My Mama Says there aren’t any Zombies, Ghosts, Vampires, Creatures, Demons, Monsters, Fiends, Goblins, or Things. How can you not love that?
Two things are happening simultaneously here. Nick is dealing with his very common childhood fear of the supernatural while coming to terms with the fallibility of his own mother. Parents make mistakes too, and it’s actually explored in this book in a really thoughtful way. Not to mention, the creatures in Nick’s imagination are legitimately spooky and that makes this fan of scary things very happy.
6. Who’s Your Real Mom?
Written by Bernadette Green and Illustrated by Anna Zobel
This wonderful book is based on what I assume is a question that kids with two moms or two dads have to deal with frequently. And the question is not asked by a bully or intended to be hurtful, but rather by a friend - very much in line with other innocent questions kids ask when they just don’t know better. But, in many ways, that’s the wonderful thing about this book - because by the end kids all over the world will know why the question is absurd.
What Nicholas seems to really want to know is whose tummy Elvi grew inside of (which could also lead to good conversations about adoption), but it seems like Elvi is not interested in dignifying his question and his concept of “real mom” with an answer. So she treats his question as an absurdity. When her straightforward and preferred answer of “they’re both my mom” doesn’t do the trick, she uses a very different strategy to get her point across that his concept of “real mom” doesn’t exist - describing a clearly imaginary person.
After that she switches to another sweet strategy - being very vague and clearly referring to both of her moms. It’s a very beautiful and sweet book about family which can lead to great conversations, and it’s another great celebration of mother/daughter love.
5. Are You My Mother?
Written and Illustrated by P. D. Eastman
The classic of all classic mom books. The image of the little bird sitting on top of the dog’s head asking “Are You My Mother?” is one of the most memorable picture book moments in history as far as I’m concerned. And who could ever forget the Snort?
The repetition is expertly done for children - and the classic story has been oft mimicked - but never surpassed. The illustrations by Eastman are second to none and define many a childhood.
Quite frankly, if you’re currently looking for mom books and you don’t have this gem on your shelf yet, it’s probably time to rectify that. Think of the children.
4. Howl
Written by Kat Patrick and Illustrated by Evie Barrow
Howl is a picture book that initially stands out because of the beautiful illustrations, and it leaves an impression because of the thoughtful and endearing mother/daughter story. In my mind I tie it strongly together with Where the Wild Things Are - which of course is high praise. And the major difference is that the magical adventure takes place with mom by the child’s side.
Maggie is not having a good day in this story, much like Alexander’s famous terrible, horrible, no-good day. Her pent-up emotions almost made her explode, and she started having wolfish thoughts. What she really wanted was to let it all out and howl at the moon. And that’s exactly what she does.
The real beauty of this book is the way it pulls kids and adults together by highlighting our commonalities. It’s a real bonding story and it’s very touching. Mom really isn’t feeling any better, and so she joins Maggie in her transformation into a wolf howling at the moon, and it is absolutely delightful.
3. Dreamers
Written and Illustrated by Yuyi Morales
Dreamers is a personal story from Yuyi Morales about immigrating to the United States with her son. It’s gorgeous and it’s heartfelt and it’s incredibly inspiring. The description of her experience coming to a new country without knowing the language is eye-opening, and her bond with her son is a joy to experience.
And perhaps the very best about that bond is that it mainly takes place inside a public library - decorated with the covers of beloved picture books that you will recognize. Libraries indeed are an absolutely unbelievable resource for moms and dads. You don’t have to sell me on the idea of coming home with a bucket full of books from the library and exploring new worlds with our kids. Morales does an amazing job describing the magical effect picture books can have on our lives.
2. The Runaway Bunny
Written by Margaret Wise Brown and Illustrated by Clement Hurd
Out of all the books on this list, The Runaway Bunny is the one I have the most nostalgia for. My mom used to read it to me, and I still have my childhood copy. Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd have together crafted some of the most iconic picture books of all time, and The Runaway Bunny is probably my favorite.
The little rabbit in the book threatens to run away, and the mother keeps coming up with creative ways that she’ll chase him down no matter where he goes. The creativity of her comebacks are certainly a big part of the enjoyment of this book, but the highlight by far is the illustrations by Hurd. The alternating between black and white and color is genius - and kids absolutely love finding the mother and baby bunny hidden in every picture.
1. Saturday
Written and Illustrated by Oge Mora
Despite our deep love and appreciation for all of the books on this list, this was no contest. Saturday is an absolutely phenomenal picture book that should go down in history as one of the best of all time. To me it’s an instant classic, and it’s 100% exactly what I could ever ask for in a picture book celebrating the relationship between a mother and child.
I can’t begin to convey how well done this book is. The art is something special to behold. It’s bright and quirky and original and it makes me happy. Even the endpapers are magnificent - which is always a nice touch. The prose includes thoughtful repetition that makes for a wonderful read-aloud - and our 4-year-old is just enthralled with this book. After we read it for the first time, she was immediately inspired to go tell her mother how much she means to her.
The story focuses on Saturday - a special day of the week, because Ava’s mother works every other day. Saturday is the day they get to spend time together. They have a lot of plans, and it’s going to be special. The problem is, basically all of their plans fall through. But, in the end, it’s really more about the time that they got to be together. It’s a work of art.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there! Have you read any of the books on our list before? Let us know your favorite mom books in the comments!
For another great Mother’s Day idea - make sure to check out these collaborative keepsake journals for parents and their kids. And get an early jump on Father’s Day with our list of the best picture books about dads.
