In honor of Mother’s Day, our May Book Corner highlights books by, for and about mothers. From comics to memoir, picture books to practical guides, each book captures a distinct facet of the modern parenting experience.
BURY ME ALREADY (It’s Nice Down Here)
By Julia Wertz
California-based cartoonist, writer and parent Julia Wertz wanted to write about pregnancy and becoming a mom. But becoming a mother amidst a global pandemic, California’s worst wildfire season on record and family trauma, Wertz’s latest memoir is about so much more. A follow up to her memoir “Impossible People,” BURY ME ALREADY is a collection of comics and essays chronicling this challenging time of early motherhood, reminding us of that time in the trenches, unexpected humor and the tenderness of it all. Julia will be visiting Skylight Books on May 22, where she’ll be in conversation with Priyanka Mattoo.
‘Til Death Do We Parent: Raising My Kid with His Dad
By Jess Hilarious
Stand-up comic and actress Jess Hilarious navigates parenting alongside her son’s father with heart and humor. “‘Til Death Do We Parent” is an honest, hopeful look at co-parenting, sharing both sides of the story through honest conversations with her co-parent Rome, and shedding light on the ups and downs of putting your kids first along the way.
“Did Your Mother Ever Tell You?: Words of Wisdom, Wit, and Love”
By Babs Costello
Babs Costello is a former preschool teacher, mother of four, grandmother of nine and the “internets favorite grandma” with her online accounts Brunch with Babs. Her debut picture book “Did Your Mother Ever Tell You?” pulls from her well of experience, to deliver modern wisdom in the form of clever, playful rhymes for children ages 4-8.
Grandma, Cho Cho and Me
By Morgan Christie; illustrated by Paulica Santos
Award winning author Morgan Christie’s latest book is inspired by her own childhood experiences. In Grandma, Cho Cho and Me, a young girl and her grandma prepare a traditional Jamaican breakfast, from Ackee and Starfish to “cho cho,” the squash-like fruit from the gourd family. Through Paulica Santos’ joyful and vibrant illustrations, readers are transported to Jamaica, where Grandma used to live before their family emigrated to Canada.
Unburdening Motherhood
By Dr. Angela Close
Clinical psychologist, motherhood coach and certified mindfulness teacher Dr. Angela Close helps mothers with the process of matrescence, the identity shift that occurs when someone becomes a mother. In her book, Unburdening Motherhood, Dr. Close reframes the overwhelm and burn out many mothers feel when entering parenthood. She lovingly holds the readers hand (sprinkling notes throughout the book, like “You’re not alone. No one is perfect. Healing and repair are always possible. Hang in there!”) while reminding them: mothers are not failing, they are undergoing a major developmental transition.
Please Don’t Die
By Amber Sweet-Davis
In her debut memoir, Amber Sweet-Davis uses beautiful, poetic prose to write about the unthinkable: her four-year-old son is diagnosed with cancer. And though “Please Don’t Die” doesn’t hold back from bringing the reader straight inside hospital rooms and past traumas, it is a testament to the power of love, as Amber writes: “love—in all its messy forms—is enough to hold us upright, even in our darkest moments.”
For more book recommendations, check out our April Book Corner.
