Regional focus: Mexico
Author: Yuyi Morales
Illustrator: Yuyi Morales
Genre: children’s literature
I’ve been thinking about mothers. I am sitting in the airport in route to meet my mother in New Orleans. Despite the fact that I am nearly 40 years old, she is traveling from California to meet me mid way between Guatemala, where I will receive an award on behalf of La Puerta Abierta for Innovative International Library Programs from the American Library Association. While I am now a mother myself, my mom is still MY mother, and I will bask in her love and support over the next few days.
As I remember my own mom, my mind wanders to the current issues of the US, the heart-breaking stories of children separated from their mothers in unfamiliar territory, without the guidance, love, warmth, and security that we associate with motherhood. I imagine the what ifs…what if my daughters were separated from me, and I was unable to protect and sooth them? Sigh. Deep breath.
And my thoughts drift back to our sweet students at La Puerta Abierta in Guatemala who spent the day honoring Mother Earth by planting trees to the mountain highlands with their teachers and families.
Today, I share one of my favorite stories about mothers.
Meet Little Night and Mother Sky in Morales’ dreamy tale of the love exchanged between mother and child. Mother Sky prepares her tiny daughter, Little Night, for the evening. As Mother Sky attempts to set the scene for bedtime, Little Night engages in clever games of hide and seek, inspiring her mother to discover where she is hidden. Children will love the idea of a girl who plays while she should be sleeping.
What I love:
- Morales captures the loving rituals between mother and child.
- The illustrations allow one to feel as if they have walked into a dream.
- Little Night and Mother Sky are beautifully brown, round, and dressed in traditional Mexican clothing.
- The book can be found in both English and Spanish.
Themes: family, rituals, the night sky
Discussion:
- What are your family bedtime rituals?
- Do you have a favorite bedtime story? What is it?
- What can you see from your window at night?
Connections:
- Take a walk with an adult at night to admire the evening sky.
- Use black, white, purple, blue and yellow paints to create your own night sky.
- Record and draw the moon phases for a month.
Sail Away Story 
Yes, my heart goes out to those now separated from their parents at a young age. My mother passed away when I was 13 and I floated to various relatives and friends. I was lucky that my bond with my
mother was strong enough in my youth to help me through the stormy waters of growing to adulthood. This also resulted in my desire to help my daughters grow into self suffice and independent caring women. Which proudly I might say, they have succeeded in doing.
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