Sharon Giltrow (text) and Arielle Li (illustrator), Get Ready, Mama!, EK Books, April 2022, 32 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781922539083
This fun picture book is a role reversal of the normal routines for getting ready for the day. It’s not Mum who is constantly reminding the child what needs to be done, but the child who is chivvying her mother. The reader goes through all the stages that child and mother go through to get ready to go out – from getting out of bed all the way to leaving the house, and all the hazards which appear along the way.
Written with a second person point of view, the reader becomes part of the story. The illustrations are well spaced on each page, use a muted colour palette, and complement Giltrow’s almost poetic text. I loved seeing all those activities which Mums often do during their drive to work. The final pages show us a lovely twist to all that’s gone before.
The child reader is sure to recognise herself – and it’s just as applicable to boys.
This will be a great addition to all libraries whether they be home, school, or public library.
Reviewed by Maureen Mann
