Mother’s Day can be so many things! For some it is a day for celebrating together as a family, for others it may be a phone or zoom call from far away, and for others still it is a day of remembering. Picture books are there to bring us all together with stories of love, of struggle and of longing for our mothers.

My must-have mom by Maudie Smith; illustrated by Jen Kathun – Jake’s mom is not like most moms. Say there's a dumpster in the street, most moms will pass right by without a second glance. Not Jake’s mom. “Look at this, Jake!” she'll shout. “We must have this! We must have this, too! And we simply must have this!” That’s Jake’s mom for you. She’s a must-have mom. Soon Jake begins to worry that his mom will want to change him too. Should he be this way? Or that way? Or another way altogether?

Ebook available from Overdrive

Tough like mum by Lana Button; illustrated by Carmen Wok – A moving picture book about a girl from a single-parent household that sometimes struggles to have ends meet, but--even as her mother grapples with depression--their love for one another redefines what it means to be tough.

All moms by Sarah Kate Ellis and Kristen Ellis-Henderson; illustrated by Max Rambaldi – All Moms is a love letter to mommies. Moms make us laugh. Moms read us stories. Moms snuggle us when we're sad, and help us grow. Some moms are silly, some are sporty or crafty, but all moms are incredible. Moms can do anything!

Always with you, always with me by Kelly Rowland and Jessica McKay; illustrated by Fanny Liem – A lyrical celebration of working moms everywhere and a soothing story for their children. As a mother gets ready to go to work, first she works on building the world for her child. Because it can sometimes be hard to be separated during the day, Mom collects some simple words that she and her child can repeat whenever they are missing each other or feeling overwhelmed.

My love for you is always by Gillian Sze; illustrated by Michelle Lee – What is love? a child wonders. What does it feel like, smell like, taste like? How does it move? How long does it last? And as she prepares a traditional Chinese meal for her family, the child's mother replies: her love for him is rosy as wolfberries, warm like tea, sweeter than the red dates she puts in his soup. It shines through the water like its own brilliant sun. It goes round and round with no beginning and no end. Because a mother's love for a child is always there, warm and soft, broad and tender.

Many shapes of clay: a story of healing by Kenesha Sneed – Eisha lives with her mother, a ceramic artist, who helps her make a special shape out of a piece of clay. The shape reminds Eisha of her father, of the ocean, of a lemon. As Eisha goes through her neighborhood doing errands with her mother, the piece of clay hardens and then shatters into pieces when Eisha taps it. In poignant and powerful words and pictures, Kenesha Sneed shows how Eisha learns to live with the sense of loss and of the joyful power of making something new out of what is left behind.

Nosostros means us: un cuento bilingüe by Paloma Valdivia – As a mother holds her young child, they muse over the way their bond would translate as different animals--a sheep and a lamb, a bear and a cub. They know their bond will change over time, but no matter how they each change, they will always be "us."

Just like mama by Alice Faye Duncan; illustrated by Charnelle Pinkney-Barlow – Carol Olivia Clementine lives with Mama Rose. Mama Rose is everything—tender and sweet. She is also as stern and demanding as any good parent should be. In the midst of their happy home, Carol misses her mother and father. She longs to be with them. But until that time comes around, she learns to surrender to the love that is present. Mama Rose becomes her “home.” And Carol Olivia Clementine concludes that she loves Miss Rose, “just like a mama.”

Ebook available from Overdrive

Missing mommy by Rebecca Cobb – Daddy comforts and reassures a very young boy after Mommy dies. 

Be sure to check our catalog and Overdrive Kids eReading Room for these titles and many more being added.