Mama, Do You Love Me?

Amazon.com

This exceptional board-book tells a beautiful and timeless story about a daughter's attempt to find the limit of her mother's love. Barbara Lavallee's exquisite illustrations of Alaska, with their exaggeratedly foreshortened perspective and rich tones of violet, blue-gray, and gray-green, tell of an easy declaration ("I love you more than the raven loves his treasure, more than the dog loves his tail, more than the whale loves his spout") that is pushed, and pushed, and ("What if I put salmon in your parka ... and ermine in your mukluks?") pushed. There's a quiet joyfulness in both the antics of the Inuit mother and daughter and in the animals--including a polar bear and a musk ox--that the daughter imagines she might become. A charming story for mothers and daughters of all ages. (Baby to preschool) --Richard Farr

Book Description

Mama, do you love me? Yes I do Dear One. How much? In this universal story, a child tests the limits of independence and comfortingly learns that a parent's love is unconditional and everlasting. The story is made all the more captivating by its unusual Arctic setting. The lyrical text introduces young readers to a distinctively different culture, while at the same time showing that the special love that exists between parent and child transcends all boundaries of time and place. The story is beautifully complemented by graphically stunning illustrations that are filled with such exciting animals as whales, wolves, puffins, and sled dogs, and a carefully researched glossary provides additional information on Arctic life. This tender and reassuring book is one that both parents and children will turn to again and again.

Customer Reviews:

Does not "show" or "prove" anything- a very average book.......2007-07-15

I bought this book because I am part Native and I wanted to keep that heritage alive for my daughter. I also liked the illustrations, which are beautiful, and she does too.

I was very disappointed in the story, however.

Rather than telling a story, this book reports a conversation between a mother and daughter that goes as follows:

"Mama, do you love me?"
"I love you so much [insert metaphor here]."
"This much?"
"Yes."
"What if..."
"I would still love you."
"What if..."
"I would still..."
"What if..."
"I would still..."

Et cetera.

I found this extremely annoying. It is not a child testing her mother's love; it is a child posing hypothetical questions. Moreover the mother's answers don't prove anything (as it says on the back of the book), because nothing actually happens.

It is sort of along the lines of The Runaway Bunny (which I liked), only more annoying, because the telling is all hypothetical, there is no intent to actually carry out any of the threats (unlike in The Runaway Bunny), and the language isn't as rhythmic, in my opinion.

The vocabulary is very rich but I do wish there had been a glossary of unfamiliar terms at the beginning, since some of these words are not ones that someone who does not live among or near Inuit would know.

All in all, a better book about love is Shel Silverstein's "The Giving Tree" and a better book celebrating Native American heritage is "Ten Little Rabbits".

I would only purchase this book if I owned all of the other books I wanted, and then mainly for the illustrations and vocabulary building.

Lots of Value in a Simple Board Book.......2007-06-27

My husband purchased this book for our 18-month-old son, and it has become one of his favorite books. I like that it shows a parent's unconditional love no matter what. It teaches that someone can be angry at and still love another person at the same time. It has also taught my son a lot about emotions, something he has had a difficult time understanding up until now. It also shows cause and effect (i.e. If you do that, I will be angry).

Finally, it has been fun to learn a little about another culture. I have had fun looking up the things in the book I didn't understand. I also like that, even though it is about the Inuit culture, that doesn't overpower the main lessons of the book.

Mama, Do You Love Me? Board Book.......2006-03-22

The book was in excellent condition and was mailed to me promptly.

Mama, do you love me?.......2005-12-07

I love this book and so does my 14 month old son. He loves the story and the illustrations. He sits "still" with me while I read it to him at his nap time and bed time and cries if I quit reading it. It is nice quiet, bonding time for us(he doesn't sit still for much). I feel it is suitable for his age and for when he is older. It has a great message. I highly recommend this book to everyone!

AWESOME BOOK.......2005-09-22

I love this book! It is my favorite. I use to read it all the time when I was little. Now I read it to my daughter everyday.

Daughter Father Canoe Coming of age in the sub-arctic and other stories of Snowdrift River and Nonacho Lake

Average customer rating:

A great book for dads of daughters or any outdoor enthusiest

Daughter Father Canoe Coming of age in the sub-arctic and other stories of Snowdrift River and Nonacho Lake
Rob Kesselring
Manufacturer: Rob Kesselring
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Water Sports | Sports | Subjects | Books

Essays & Travelogues | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

Arctic | Polar Regions | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Canada | Travel | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0972402306

Book Description

Rob Kesselring deftly mingles the story of his daughter's "coming of age" canoe trip in the wilderness of the Canadian Northwest Territories with his own life experiences in the region. The result is a story that will have you alternately rolling with laughter, clinging to the edge of your seat, and seeking out your own children to hold in your arms. Rob's down to earth writing style lends itself perfectly to this joyful narrative. By the end of the book you will feel like you've shared in their incredible bonding experience. Enjoy!

Customer Reviews:

A great book for dads of daughters or any outdoor enthusiest.......2003-09-19

I was given the book for my 40th birthday and couldn't put it down! It has been my dream to go on an adventure with each of my children when they "come of age" and this book has inspired me to not be afraid to do it. Kesslrings stories bring the lives of the people of the NWT to life. Not only did it tell the story of a somewhat unknown people, but it also reminded me of the important milestones that every parent must take with their children. The book was inspiring to me and a great reminder of the important role we parents play in our kids lives. It's an easy, fun and inspiring read!

The Snow Baby: The Arctic Childhood of Robert E. Peary's Daring Daughter

Average customer rating:

A remarkable tale of a remarkable childhood
A Chilly Childhood
Ice ice baby
Georgeous and Fascinating
a spellbinding book of a childhood like no other in the world

The Snow Baby: The Arctic Childhood of Robert E. Peary's Daring Daughter
Katherine Kirkpatrick
Manufacturer: Holiday House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0823419738

Book Description

Born in a two-room, tar-paper-covered house in the far north of Greenland, Marie Ahnighito Peary was destined to have an exciting childhood. Her parents, the famous explorer Robert E. Peary and Josephine Peary, had shocked Victorian society by starting their family so far away from â€œcivilization.â€ Fair-skinned children were so rare in the far North that the local Inuit called Marie â€œSnow Baby.â€ Map, time line, bibliography, index.

Customer Reviews:

A remarkable tale of a remarkable childhood.......2007-06-14

Katherine Kirkpatrick's The Snow Baby tells the remarkable tale of a remarkable childhood. Marie Ahnighito Peary, daughter of Arctic explorer Admiral Robert E. Peary, was born in a hut on the coast of Greenland, and spent much of her childhood accompanying her father and mother on excursions to the Arctic, eventually witnessing the historic triumph of Peary's North Pole expedition. Ms. Kirkpatrick's prose is clear and engaging, approaching her topic with historical accuracy and charm. She describes Marie Peary's adventures on the ice from a child's eye point of view, giving equal attention to historic events, Marie's love for wild arctic pets, and her excitement at wearing a grown-up dress. Even life-threatening circumstances are made fun and full of joy as Marie over-winters on a ship locked in the ice, narrowly escapes an avalanche, and races off a cracking ice-sheet that had been the site of outdoor games moments before. When Marie witnesses an Inuit walrus hunt, she focuses her appreciation on the skill of the hunters to deal with her distaste. The harshness of the Arctic experience is reflected instead on a beloved rabbit that dies on deck, exposed to the unrelenting cold.

Relying on Marie Peary's own writings and related works, Ms. Kirkpatrick depicts a girl with spunk, endurance, and a gift for taking her extraordinary life in stride. The Snow Baby is beautifully illustrated with period photographs, clippings, and even a handwritten letter from Marie, making the book a handsome and fascinating portrait of an inspiring young girl.

A Chilly Childhood.......2007-06-02

Marie Ahnighito Peary was born in the far north of Greenland on September 12, 1893. Her mother, who was a member of an educated Wasington, D.C. family, had shocked all her family and friends by accompanying her husband, Robert Peary, the famous Arctic explorer, to his winter base camp. Marie spent the first months of her life in a tarpaper house surrounded by Arctic winter darkness. When the long darkness ended in February, a ray of sunlight shone through the window onto Baby Marie. Her father reported, " Marie reached for the golden bar as other children reach for a beautiful toy." This quotation about
Marie is accompanied by a poignant picture of the chubby baby reaching for the sun.

This biography, which will fascinate young readers, follows the singular childhood of a girl raised in two very different environments, her grandmother's home in Washington, D.C., and the ships and camps where she
grew to know and love the Inuit culture and people. From these camps, her father made attempt after attempt to reach the North Pole. Her intrepid mother took Marie many times to the far north with her father. Robert Peary, promoted to Admiral, finally reached his goal on April 6, 1909 when Marie was fifteen. Following Peary's obsession with reaching the North Pole by tracing the childhood of his adventurous daughter is
a delightful way to learn history.

Ice ice baby.......2007-05-13

There are topics in this world that lend themselves to children's non-fiction. Some of these topics are the usual cast of characters. The Titanic. Roanoke. The Molasses Flood of 1919. Other topics are a little less well-known but when you hear of them your jaw drops and you sputter something along the lines of, "How did no one think to write this book until now?" I would say that Katherine Kirkpatrick's, "The Snow Baby" falls squarely into the latter category. Quick and fun, factual and fast-paced, the story of Admiral Peary's daughter and her years in the frozen north makes for ideal non-fiction reading for kids.

She was born in the far north of Greenland in 1893 in a part of the world where the sun wasn't to appear again for months. The daughter of the American Arctic explorer Lieutenant Robert E. Peary and his wife Josephine, Marie Ahnighito Peary spent her early years bouncing about the frozen north. Her father was determined to become the first man to reach the North Pole, and once in a while his family joined him part of the way on his expeditions. Marie's life consisted of Inuit friends, snow as far as the eye can see, and small adventures on the ice. Author Katherine Kirkpatrick traces Marie's numerous journeys between America and the Arctic, while also charting her father's dream and the lives of everyone she touched.

Kirkpatrick cleverly limits the length of the story to a mere 50 pages or so. In doing so it's as interesting to take note of what she does mention as what she doesn't. For example, Matthew Henson was Peary's personal aide in the Arctic. He was also an African-American and a true hero in his own right. And Kirkpatrick does eventually sort of mention to this fact by and by, but her focus is squarely on Marie. Mr. Henson's skin color comes out in degrees more than anything else. She also is exceedingly careful with her facts. At no point does Kirkpatrick ever force her own opinion onto the reader. With an impartiality verging on the distanced, we learn of the two Inuit children Peary fathered when his wife was not around. We hear about how he took three meteorites the Inuits used for making knives and spear points with a quiet, "Peary saw no reason why he shouldn't take the meteorites from Greenland. According to him, the Inuit no longer needed the iron meteorites because they could now trade for metal knife blades." Be that as it may, as we read towards the end of the book the Inuit were "left without the trade goods they'd grown accustomed to," after Peary's departed in 1909. Kirkpatrick is sly. She is certainly allowing the child reader the chance to reach their own conclusions on these subjects without seemingly putting forth her own. Just the same, when she recounts how Peary hired Matthew Henson for his lectures, Kirkpatrick points out that Matt was hired, "to wear (and perspire in) thick furs." True enough. You can give facts that damn a man without having actually write, "What an awful guy!," on the page. This distance is necessary when discussing the Inuit too. We hear about how Marie's friend Billy Bah was married at fourteen. Later we see a cheery twelve-year-old with her own baby. Some authors would condemn this practice. Others might try to explain it. Kirkpatrick, however, lays the facts before you and then takes a step back. However you choose to digest this information is up to you and you alone.

One of the first things that really struck me about this book was the number of photographs found here. I count at least sixty-three photographs in this book. Of these, a stunning twenty-eight are of Marie herself. Additionally, each page contains at least one photo, usually with more than one breaking up the text. Considering the time period with which we are dealing (late 19th/early 20th century) the fact that there even were this many photographs taken is impressive in and of itself. And that so many of them were taken of a single girl is just children's book gold. Kirkpatrick does a remarkable job of showing you images of many of the characters mentioned in the book too. The sole exception, I guess, would have to be Marie's childhood companion Koodlooktoo who only appears as a very small infant at the beginning of the book. And you can hardly blame the author for not being able to produce his face out of thin air.

And did I mention how exciting it was? One minute Marie's sliding down a hill and the next thing you know she's about to skim right over a cliff into the frozen waters below unless Koodlooktoo is able to save her. Ships are constantly getting iced in and trapped. People have to eat dogs. The book's wild and the fact that it's so well researched and cited just aids to the pleasure of reading it. Kirkpatrick is careful to include a Bibliography of First and Secondary Sources, a list of Source Notes, an Index, and a long listing of Picture Credits for anyone curious as to where she found all these great shots. Proper credit is given in the text itself to Ms. Peary's own book, "The Snowbaby's Own Story," though I would hazard a guess that this book is the more honest of the two. Something tells me that Marie probably wouldn't have mentioned her illegitimate half-brothers and sisters when discussing her much beloved (and absent) father.

If I were placed in charge of marketing this book, you know the first thing I would have mentioned in the bookflap/press releases/what-have-you would be the fact that its subject (deep breath), Marie Ahnighito Peary Stafford Kuhne, was a children's author in her own right. You may have stumbled on her Little Tooktoo stories at some point in your travels. In any case, with its short length and young subject, "The Snow Baby" might pair very well with other non-fiction titles like, The Cat With the Yellow Star: Coming of Age in Terezin by Susan Goldman Rubin. And for those people wishing to do a unit on polar exploration, you might want to consider also taking a look at, Onward: A Photobiography of African-American Polar Explorer Matthew Henson by Delores Johnson. All in all, consider this a really spectacular non-fiction choice for any given year. A non-fiction read that comes across as a true pleasure.

Georgeous and Fascinating.......2007-02-04

If ever there was a coffee-table book for young readers, this would be it. "The Snow Baby" is a beautifully produced book with the highest quality layout and design; and professionally reproduced photos, with the adorable image of 18-month Marie Peary, radiant in her Inuit furs, welcoming the reader to this unique inside look at the life of Robert E. Peary's daughter. But this book is more "than a pretty face"; it is a well-crafted story of a greatly admired American family that reads like a compelling page-turner. It is about cultural respect of indigenous peoples, as well as the value of perseverance and courage. Moreover, it is the story of a young girl who parlayed her young experiences into an admirable life -- surely an inspiration to all.

a spellbinding book of a childhood like no other in the world.......2007-01-11

Robert Peary's daughter was born in the Artic to a world of ice and snow and lived there as a child on and off, never knowing if her beloved father would return from yet again trying to reach the North Pole. Between her life in warm furs and a ship trapped in the ice, playing with Inuit children, and her other life as a proper Victorian little girl in America, Marie Peary is a fascinating real life heroine. A totally engrossing story that you can't put down, illustrated with old photos, among them a tiny little Marie encased in fur and a ship bound by ice. She escapes danger so often and so many times fears to lose her beloved father to the ice and snow; set around 1900 before telephones or computers of any sort, Marie and her mother had to wait long and terrible months to find out if her father would come home again. Young readers will love this story. There's nothing else quite like it, and it really happened!

Average customer rating:

Truly Amazing Adventure
AWESOME true stoy!
A ture wilderness journey into the unknown

Arctic Daughter
Jean Aspen
Manufacturer: Laurel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

Arctic | Polar Regions | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Arctic Son: Fulfilling the Dream (Expedition Series)

ASIN: 0440214491
Release Date: 1993-07-03

Customer Reviews:

Truly Amazing Adventure.......2001-03-01

I highly recommend this book for those who love true adventure stories. This is a rare and unique one. While I would not rate this book a 5-star simply on the basis of the writing, as sometimes I find descriptive language to linger too long, I must give it an overall 5 stars due to its amazing content and intriguing story of a woman who dared to follow her dreams into one of the last wildernesses remaining on Earth. Jean Aspen went where few dare to go, and she did it as a college-aged young woman. The reader is amazed at the matter-of-factness of her descriptions of pushing off of the bank into the mighty Yukon River, alone with a boyfriend and a puppy in an unweildy overladen canoe. Have they packed all the necessities to live a year alone in the Alaskan bush? Will they really be able to find a site and build a cabin before winter? Will they survive despite Aspen's own admission that there odds at making it through the winter are perhaps 50/50? And obviously, though you know they make it somehow, you constantly want to know HOW? What was it like to live through a dark deathly-cold winter on the edge of the Arctic Circle, under the Brooks Range in a cabin built by two with no outside help? What does Alaska's bush really look like? What does it FEEL like to be out there alone? What are they going to eat? How will they stay warm? Don't read ahead! This is truly an adventure few have ever lived to tell about. Descriptions of the sights, sounds and emotions are beautiful.

AWESOME true stoy!.......1999-04-06

This is an incredible adventure story written in in a very descriptive manner. It's unbelievable what we can endure if we put our minds to it. This is a MUST READ!

A ture wilderness journey into the unknown.......1998-09-01

I was at a friends house when I first picked up Arctic Daughter by Jean Aspen. I sat down and started to read the first few pages, two hours later it was time to go home and I was still reading this book. My friends were kind enough to let me borrow the book and I finished it the next day. I returned the book to my friends and went directly to the book store and ordered it. I was told it was out of print and I was very upset. I then spent about two weeks searching to find a copy of Arctic Daughter and I was lucky enough to find a new copy. I gave it to my wife and she also read it in one day. This book takes the reader to a place that many people will never see. The courage and spirit of true adventure in Jean Aspen prevails in this book and it is a shame it is out of print. I would encourage any person who has the dream of "chucking" it all away in order to live a life more simple to pick up a copy of this book. It is the real deal and puts the adventurers' life in a new perspective. A must read!

Average customer rating:

Honest and poetic: takes you there

Arctic Daughter: A Wilderness Journey
Jean Aspen
Manufacturer: Bergamot Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Similar Items:

Arctic Son: Fulfilling the Dream (Expedition Series)

ASIN: 0943127017

Customer Reviews:

Honest and poetic: takes you there.......2003-12-07

This is a gripping tale of a strong and courageous woman. Most of the book is beautifully written, save two pages of sevenities sentimentality. Aside from that very minor flaw, this is the best book I have read on a sojourn in the Arctic wilderness. It makes you want to go there, do that. Aside from the poetry of the writing, the book has an unforced sense of humor. I laughed out loud many times. I recommend Arctic Daughter to all and sundry.

Average customer rating:

Me quieres, mama?
Barbara Joosse
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Multiculturalism | Issues | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0811820769

Book Description

A beloved bestseller now available in Spanish.
Mama, do you love me? Yes I do Dear One. How much? In this universal story, a child tests the limits of independence and comfortingly learns that a parent's love is unconditional and everlasting. The story is made all the more captivating by its unusual Arctic setting. The Iyrical text introduces young readers to a distinctively different culture, while at the same time showing that the special love that exists between parent and child transcends all boundaries of time and place. The story is beautifully complemented by graphically stunning illustrations that are filled with such exciting animals as whales, wolves, puffins, and sled dogs, and a carefully researched glossary provides additional information on Arctic life. This tender and reassuring book is one that both parents and children will turn to again and again.

Average customer rating:

Artic Legacy
This book was exciting and appealing.

Arctic Legacy (Avalon Mystery)
Loretta Jackson , and Vickie Britton
Manufacturer: Avalon Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Suspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Arctic Legacy is Loretta Jackson and Vickie Britton's third novel for AVALON.

Customer Reviews:

Artic Legacy.......2000-11-17

This is a fascinating book about a young woman's search for her father who has disappeared in Alaska. In addition to the mystery there is romance involved. The story is fiction but the locale is authentic and you will know more about Alaska after reading the book. There are some surprises and you will enjoy reading this novel as well as other books by these authors.

This book was exciting and appealing........1999-10-29

I've always wanted to go to Alaska and reading this book was just like being there. Arctic Legacy is exciting! I enjoyed the fast action and the appealing characters.

Average customer rating:

The Explorer's Daughter
Kari Herbert
Manufacturer: Viking
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Travel | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books

Arctic | Polar Regions | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 067091374X

Daughter of Strangers. (Reviews).: An article from: Arctic

Average customer rating:

Daughter of Strangers. (Reviews).: An article from: Arctic
Jane Sproull Thomson
Manufacturer: Arctic Institute of North America of the University of Calgary
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Science | Subjects | Books

Science & Technology | Subjects | e-Docs | Formats | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Arctic, published by Arctic Institute of North America of the University of Calgary on September 1, 2002. The length of the article is 1258 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Daughter of Strangers. (Reviews).
Author: Jane Sproull Thomson
Publication: Arctic (Refereed)
Date: September 1, 2002
Publisher: Arctic Institute of North America of the University of Calgary
Volume: 55 Issue: 3 Page: 307(2)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Average customer rating:

Arctic Daughter - Wilderness Journey
Jean Aspen
Manufacturer: Delta / Dell Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N55RXC

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books