When Mama Goes to Work

The mothers in this sunny primer all work outside the home (one is a construction worker, another a medical professional, and two more in an office). Skrypuch’s declarative phrases are written in the voices of the mothers’ children, as they confidently express their independence: “When Mama goes to work,/ I’m busy all day long./ I work with tools/ and get things done.” First-time illustrator Phillips’s artwork features an ethnically diverse cast of cartoon families and understated suburban surroundings that, despite a somewhat generic quality, should draw in the targeted preschool-age audience. Ages 3–up. Author’s agency: the Cooke Agency. (Mar.)