The full-page watercolor paintings capture the nighttime setting and depict a loving mother and child with no overt signs of the horrors of slavery.

In this, her debut effort, Armand focuses on the positive aspects of maternal devotion and a mother’s dreams of greatness for her son. The first mile is for forgetting about being tired, and the following miles are for praying, giving thanks to God, singing, smiling, hoping to live together as a family, dreaming about freedom and loving her son, among others. In this story, she walks the 12 miles from plantation to plantation and shares with him what each means. The author has taken as her inspiration the line from Douglass’ writings in which he remembers his mother teaching him that he was “somebody’s child.” Douglass was in fact separated from his mother as an infant and rarely saw her. Ted and his mom, the only characters, present White.Ī lighthearted biographical good-night tale for the very young.įrederick Douglass’ mother imparts 12 lessons, one for each mile she walks on her clandestine nighttime visits to him.

Though the meter is occasionally a bit forced, overall, this is an effective and entertaining introduction to biographies in general and Teddy Roosevelt in particular, as well as a very pleasant invitation to sleep. (An innovative note in the backmatter draws the connections and explains the historical references.) Youngsters will be interested to see how much they may have in common with the future president as they giggle over his antics and then settle down for the night, perhaps dreaming of someday becoming president themselves. Maybe one day he’ll even find a way to help take care of the mountains he loves. In her entreaties, his mother gently admonishes her active son by calling attention to the very attributes he will someday be known for, including his love of nature and the great outdoors, scouting, sailing, safaris, bears-and snoring. Young listeners will recognize themselves at bedtime as the energetic, retro-styled illustrations and playful rhymes trace Ted’s progress toward bed (or lack thereof). In this rhyming good-night book, future president Theodore Roosevelt is only a boy-and he simply won’t go to sleep. Come down from that tree now / and get a good scrub.” “Time to go to bed, Ted! / Head to the tub.

Call Me Ixchel by Janie Havemeyer