If you are looking for a Paris picture book sans landmark, well you've come to the right place.In Diane Goode's Mama's Perfect Present
, brother and sister take their dog, Zaza, shopping. They are hoping to find the perfect birthday present for their Mama. Along the way they consider flowers, shoes, an elaborate cake, a splendid red dress and song birds. However, Zaza's giggle-inducing antics reveal the shortcomings of each choice. Any parent who has received a handmade gift from her child will appreciate the gift the sibling's finally settle on.In Mama's Perfect Present, 1920s (possibly 30s?) Paris is a world of fashionable shops and a mix of hardworking, elegant and perhaps a bit snooty grownups. Goode's illustrations are extremely appealing and I found the "Frenchness" of the adult faces very amusing. Although there is no Eiffel Tower or Champs Elysees, there is a famous French painting which will take you by surprise.
This is one of my 2 year old's favorite books.... and for good reason.
Want More?
Read Goode's other book about the siblings looking for Mama in a Parisian train station, Where's Our Mama?
(I'll review it, too, if I get a chance!).Visit the author's website.
Read a Q&A with the author.
Little Kid says: I want the dog book.
4 comments:
Diane Goode is one of my favorite illustrators. This sounds like a cute story. I'll bet my girls would like this one. Thanks for the suggestion.
I have just been having a huge catch up on these Paris-realted books and am now filled with a desire to read them! If I had to pick just one, it would probably be Anatole. This is perhaps because my friends and I thought we were hilarious at school for saying "Quel fromage!" whenever something went amiss.
Never heard of this book before - will take a look in Diane Goode's section of the library. We read some of her books, but not this one.
@Book Chook: Anatole was one of my favorites, too.
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