Some of us, of a certain vintage, will recall Libby
Gleeson’s stellar picture book, Mum Goes to Work published in 1992. Many of us hailed it as ground-breaking as finally working mothers were depicted drawn from real-life with a variety of occupations rather than the tired old stereotypes.
In the intervening years this has become far more of a norm but this new picture book from Laura Stitzel takes this further.
As we know, in some families Mum works late – well after children’s bedtimes often.
This beautiful and gentle bedtime story shows Dad tucking up the little one with the reassurances that though Mum is not yet home, her presence and love is very real and right there. The rhyming text is soothing and the perfect prelude to sleep with the very real emotion that would accompany these situations:
Mums with many things
to do
All miss their little ones, like you.
The illustrations blend beautifully with the father’s quiet conversation as the reader sees Mum on her way home – a glimpse of red shoes, a distant figure walking down the street.
All in all, this is a superb book which not only makes the ideal bedtime
read but so perfectly demonstrates that often mothers do work outside what has
been traditionally ‘domestic or family’ hours, whether they have busy jobs that
require more time, are shift-workers or have jobs in after regular business
hours. This inclusivity is marvellous and strongly reminds me of that earlier
book when a hitherto neglected aspect of working mothers was finally presented.
Not only a lovely night-time read but one for all those little people with mums whose work takes them away at more unusual hours. I highly recommend it for any collection for your youngest readers.
Title: Moonlight MumsAuthor: Laura Stitzel
Publisher: Penguin Australia, Imprint: Puffin, $19.99
Publication Date: 2 February 2021
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9781760895792
Type: Picture Book