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Reviewed by Sarah Stuart for Readers' Favorite
Israel Dilean’s illustrations throughout Shanalee Sharboneau's picture book, My Mama Loves Me: I’m Her Little Girl, have a timeless look that complements the words incredibly well. And those words have a rhythm that makes rhyme superfluous, popular though it is with children who enjoy having stories read to them. The subject matter is the same in that it reinforces the meaning in the title over and over, and yet it is never the same. Mama and her unnamed daughter play the piano, wander in a garden, turn into mermaids who play in the sea, and enjoy many other almost magical settings. There are countless ways Mama shows that she cares, and any little girl listening to her mother reading would know that she was loved. It would be a wonderful gift anywhere in the world; the use of Mama, not Mom or Mum, ensures that its appeal is truly international.
I read My Mama Loves Me: I’m Her Little Girl by Shanalee Sharboneau three times and still found something new in every picture. Most of all, I liked the positive message of unconditional love. Who could resist “my mama stays with me, my mama plays with me”, “my mama teaches me to dream”, "my mama makes my life complete", or “my mama folds my hands in prayer”? Based on a lullaby for Shanalee’s own sick baby, this is a book to be treasured and passed down through families. Every page is entertaining, and yet it carries an ageless message about everything that is precious in a mother and daughter relationship.