Cover of Mama's Kiss by Jane Yolen

Mama’s Kiss

Illustrated by Daniel Baxter
Chronicle Books 2008
ISBN# 0811866831

This book began as a shorter poem, “Mama’s Kisses,” published in Nick Jr. Magazine in 2002. And then I expanded it into a picture book, rewrote it a dozen or more times for myself and then the editor. That’s how it goes!

What reviewers have said:

  • “A delightful choice for both child and parent who want to enjoy a cozy time together at bedtime or anytime, beloved author Jane Yolen’s Mama’s Kiss is a book which stands up to being read again and again.”—Chicago Examiner
  • “Although the title suggests sentimentality, that notion disappears with the first look inside this snappy square-format book. Yolen’s jaunty rhymes are short and sweet; debut illustrator Baxter’s droll, cartoonlike pictures practically jump from page to page…The traditional poetic meter creates a reassuring effect, and both words and pictures deliver plenty of giggles.”—PW
  • “Mama throws a kiss, depicted as rosy lips with cupid wings, but it misses the curly-haired narrator. It travels via breezes, sneezes, and a runner from baby brother to family pets, Honey Bee, and bears to end up that evening back where it belongs, on the little girl’s cheek. “A kiss can go the world around,/And come back where it should be found.” Yolen’s text is verb-rich with burps, bumps, and spins to keep the action rolling. Baxter’s pen-and-ink drawings trace the kiss’s journey with pink arrows flowing amid varyingly detailed scenes that match the pace of the text. A cheerful palette and autumn scenes further enhance the appeal of this cozy lap-sit selection.”—SLJ
  • “Yolen’s meter never falters, providing a rollicking counterpoint to Baxter’s drolly energetic cartoon vignettes, the winged-lipped kiss tying all visually together. Sweet-but not saccharine-good-hearted fun.—Kirkus
  • “Mama’s Kisses” is a sweet bedtime story. Veteran children’s writer Yolen sends mommy’s kiss off on a small adventure that ends up, you guessed it, right back where it started. The engaging pictures encourage kids to trace the path of the kiss and count.”— ALBANY TIMES UNION holiday gift guide