In Tracey Lynn Pearson’s self-help picture book UNTIL MAMA COMES HOME: Helping Little Hearts Feel Loved When a Parent Is Away, a girl named Luna stays home with her grandmother while her mother is away “someplace” to “get better” as a parent. The book’s lack of specifics about where exactly the mother is going makes it more relatable for children whose parent must leave for any reason, but the book will find a more engaged audience with those whose parents are spending time in either a mental health facility or rehab.
After her mother leaves, Luna expresses her sadness through tears and hugs with her teddy bear while her grandmother encourages her to draw pictures to give to her mom when she returns. The grandmother’s openness, age-appropriate word choice, and consistent messaging that Luna’s mother loves her even when they're apart feel like apt examples of supportive behaviors. The book’s language is concise and minimalistic, as emotions are defined in overly simplistic terms like “happy" and "sad.” Oft-repeated phrases reiterate the importance of routine and consistency during a parent’s absence, but they do grow redundant by the book’s end. That Luna’s mother has not yet returned by the conclusion helps maintain focus on the lessons about emotional security during a parent’s absence.
A few generic FAQs for caregivers appear after the story. While the generalities in Luna’s story help with engagement, the vagueness in this informational section does the opposite. It asks what to do if a child asks “very big questions” or if a “parent’s situation is complicated,” providing brief, nebulous answers that include suggestions to be reassuring and consistent. Guidance mirrors the grandmother’s actions with brief expansions on the ideas presented, like telling the child to draw a bridge connecting them to their absent parent. The book could do with a more robust set of resources.
The book’s illustrations depict Luna in her warm, inviting home, which is adorned with bright colors and cozy decor (including plants and a play tent filled with stuffed animals). Luna appears safe in her home environment during this emotionally strenuous time. There are some oddities, though, such as a container of jam labeled “JAME” and repeated images whose lack of variety may reduce engagement. Some facial expressions don't match the text, either, as when Luna is shown smiling when her mother sits her down to tell her she's leaving and when she cuddles with her grandmother while the text says they “snuggle together while we feel all the feels.”
Despite its flaws, UNTIL MAMA COMES HOME nevertheless comes across as a useful book for kids waiting for a parent to come home and the adult who stays with them during this troubled time.
Even as vagueness and repetition obscure specific guidance, Tracey Lynn Pearson’s UNTIL MAMA COMES HOME: Helping Little Hearts Feel Loved When a Parent Is Away encourages caregivers to help children express their feelings when a parent must be absent.
~ Aimée Jodoin for IndieReader