18th February Barbara Joosse (?)

I don't know what year Barbara was born, but I read somewhere that today was her birthday. I have only read three of her books too, but each of them is well worth seeking out. The most recent, Roawr! is amazing. It celebrates noise and rowdy boy behaviour. There are several boys whom I have taught who remind me of Liam and sometimes I find myself behaving like his mother, right down to requesting children use an inside voice! The comic-like illustrations by Jan Jutte add to the sense of mischief and the whole tone of the book leads me to make connections with Where the Wild Things Are.

The other two books that I know are Mama, Do You Love Me? and Papa, Do You Love Me? These two are ideal for Mothers Day and Fathers Day activities, liturgies and discussions about parent/child relationships. The mother title depicts an Inuit family and the father title is set in Africa and depicts a Masai family, but this does not limit them or decrease their relevance to the families of your students. In fact it adds to their appeal and range of use.