GREAT JOB, MOM!

We all know the work that goes into
parenting. This book and its companion celebrate and name all the unpaid jobs
moms and dads do at home after their regular 9-to-5 jobs are over.

“My mom works as a carpenter.
/ She builds things big and strong. // At night, though, she’s a general
/ who’ll march the troops along. // She’s also part-time curator / with
passion for the arts. // And frequent archaeologist / in search of
buried parts.” Wang’s scenes will be familiar to fans of his Cozy Classics
board books, done with his brother Jack Wang; crafted of needle-felted
characters and found or made props and then photographed, they are genius,
making clear the many parental duties: enforcing bedtime, changing out the
fridge art, and combing through the laundry. Companion title Great, Job, Dad! publishes simultaneously and follows a similar
format. His day job is “manager”;
at home, his duties include “waiter,”
“chauffeur,” “inspector” (of diapers), and “judge” (between siblings). Both
titles show both traditional gender roles and otherwise, and they end
similarly: “Dad does one job to pay the bills, / the others out of love.” Mom!
features a white family with an older brother and younger sister; Dad!
spotlights an Asian family with an older sister and younger brother. The
photography and needle felting are not to be missed. The backmatter provides
detail on the artist’s process, complete with photographs; this is sure to
capture readers’ imaginations.

The artwork in this tongue-in-cheek
look at the many roles moms—and dads, in the separate title—play in family life is certain to have
readers poring over the pages. (Picture book. 3-8)