Mama Sings

Singing to your child has many benefits. When you sing to an infant, they bond with you and your voice. It soothes them and makes them feel safe. As your child grows, we use songs to teach routines and skills—ABCs, how to brush teeth, clean-up time, and the fifty states, etc. We use music to calm a child for a nap, to help understand emotions or to play a game. Music is used for educational and therapeutic purposes. Music has a special place in all our lives, and we all have (at least) one memory surrounding a tune. 

Within the 24 pages of Mama Sings, a little girl reflects upon the beautiful songs her mother sang to her at bedtime. Through stunning, pastel illustrations created by Naya Kirichenko, a daughter's imagination gives life to her mother's melodies. Her mom sings songs from the radio and church but also incorporates new melodies. Her dear mother sings about family and life through songs passed down from her own mother. She sings at different levels and speeds, pouring emotion into every syllable. Her passion for music is undeniable and passed onto her daughter like a tradition. 

The young girl follows in her mother's footsteps and sings in good times and bad. She sings when she's happy and sad. She sings to nature, for her mother, and herself. Each note she carries creates a lasting memory, bonding her to the moment, her family, and the world around her.  

Mama Sings is a beautifully written and drawn story that shows a mother's love for her daughter and vice versa. It stresses music's impact on relationships and how it can soothe a soul and create a long-lasting bond with a person or moment. 

I recommend sharing Amanda Esch-Cormier's lovely book with children two years and older.