Great Job, Mom!

Wang, cocreator of the Cozy Classics series, fashions scenes from the life of a mother and her two children, the needle-felted figures staged and photographed in scale model sets. A child narrator praises his mother’s many roles. As a professional carpenter, the sandy-haired mother “builds things big and strong.” But at home, she’s a data-collecting scientist (she marks the boy’s changing height on the wall). She’s also sometimes “a zookeeper who handles beastly crews,” including the family’s rambunctious pets and the mess-making siblings. Wang captures a remarkable sense of motion, expression, and realism in his scenes. This little family feels so authentic, readers may forget that its is made from wool. Also available: Great Job, Dad! Ages 3–7. [em](Mar.) [/em]