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World's Number 1 Mom by Theresa Allam illustrated by Gregory Allam Trafford Publishing
book review by Karyn Saemann
Poet Theresa Allam pours her heart into this picture book about motherhood. It speaks to many things that mothers try to instill in their children and do for them. Allam's mom apparently succeeded in her maternal efforts. Allam says her mother offered character, morals, love and time. She brought joy, taught patience and laid a foundation that built self esteem. Allam has won awards for her poetry, but this book reads more like simple prose. It is short with less than a dozen pages of text and a single line of text on each page. Allam is writing for a decidedly adult audience; lines such as "the services you rendered to the community set the perfect example worthy of emulation," are beyond a child's reading level. This is the kind of picture book an adult child might gift to an older parent; it's not a bedtime lap book to share with a preschooler. It's a book you might present as a grown-up, when you finally see the implications of your mother's efforts. The illustrations are very simple and depict a loving mother and child in various situations. They have a rough, hand-hewn feel. World's Number 1 Mom is a tenderly penned recognition, by one grown child, of how important her mother was. And it is a genuine "thank you" to all mothers who gave their all. An ode to another influential relative, such as a father or grandparent, might be a great companion title.