Rating:  Summary: at least there's ONE board book showing a nursing toddler Review: I ordered this, despite the mixed reviews, because I really wanted something to begin to balance all the bottle-feeding shown in children's books, TV, etc., and I figured it would be better than nothing. I'd give it five stars for concept and intent, but just one star for execution.
As others have said, the photos are soft-focus-y (if you're feeling charitable) or blurry and grainy (if you're not), and the book is designed with a really limited palette of pinkish-orangish-brownish tones. My 16-month-old son has rejected this book every time I've tried to share it with him, probably because it's just not very engaging visually. We'll try again when he's older and a little more verbal and we can discuss what's going on in the images more.
I also agree with many reviewers that the near-nude images of the mother -- while beautiful and natural and a lovely expression of the tenderness and vulnerability that comes with breastfeeding -- don't accurately reflect my matter-of-fact, day-to-day experience of nursing or the experience of most of my friends who breastfeed. If there is to be only one board book available showing and discussing this experience for todders, I wish it were one with a variety of images, showing moms and nurslings of all shapes and sizes and colors, nursing in all kinds of situations and with breasts large and small, exposed, semi-exposed, or not visible.
Here's hoping that we'll soon have many, many board books, picture books, and other media that not only focus on the wonderful ordinariness of breastfeeding babies, toddlers, and preschoolers but also incorporate it as an incidental element.
Rating:  Summary: Very disappointed! Review: I was so excited about this book that I told my Dad that I wanted it for Christmas (not even for the kids, for ME)! When I opened it and read it for the first time I was so disappointed. The pictures are out of focus and grainy and the text is very plain. I was really hoping for a book that would be sweet and make me think of all the time I have spent nursing my kids. This was not it.
Rating:  Summary: my kids love it Review: I was so excited to see a book that shows an older baby nursing that I ordered it right away. When it arrived, I was disappointed with the picture quality--very grainy. I almost sent it back but that seemed too much trouble.But you know, my kids LOVE this book. When my second baby was born, my first child (who is almost 4 and still nursing) had to learn to share mama's milk, and I think this book helped. She still frequently chooses this book before bedtime. And my 11mo baby loves to look at the pictures too. I'm so glad I kept this book! We definitely need more books like this. We have "We like to nurse," but since that isn't a board book, we can't share it with the little one as easily. And we have "Michelle, the Nursing Toddler," but not only isn't that a board book, the story line isn't nearly as attractive as I'm Made of Mama's Milk. Thanks to Mary Olsen for going to the trouble and expense of having this book printed.
Rating:  Summary: Charming, enchanting, and wonderful Review: Mary Olsen's book, I'm Made of Mama's Milk, is charming, enchanting, and wonderful. Olsen captures an endearing, light-hearted joy about breastfeeding, with flowing verse and lovely pictures. Reading the book with my sons was a delight. The boys giggled and pointed at the baby in the book, and were plainly enjoying the story. Positive breastfeeding references in our culture are few and far between. Whenever we see a baby on television, or comics, or children's books, most of the time the child is being bottle-fed, or in a high chair being fed baby-goo on a spoon. I'm always on the lookout for examples of breastfeeding for my sons. I frequently feel I need to explain all the bottles associated with babies, and with this book, I felt no pressure to explain a thing. The boys knew, understood, and related to the pictures and text in Mary Olsen's book. Jake, my three year old, laughed, and said, "Look, that baby's nursin'! Just like me an' Logan!" Not only does this board book depict scenes of breastfeeding, but also of cosleeping, nursing in a sling, nursing in the bathtub, and a sling-wearing daddy. There is also a very pleasant surprise at the end, one that made both my sons laugh out loud in delight. Reading this book, I realized there is such a tremendous gap in our cultural images, and this book is an excellent start to filling that gap. There isn't a stroller or a crib in the book, nothing to indicate the baby is raised any differently than my boys. I love that. Mary Olsen's words are just as alluring. She draws my sons in, makes them included, makes them part of the story, part of the wonder of breastfeeding. It is a book about them, my breastfeeding sons, and they, especially Jake, can tell immediately. He already asks for the book several times a day, and we've only owned the book for a very short while. This is definitely a book we will treasure for a long time to come. I only hope more books like Mary Olsen's I'm Made of Mama's Milk follow, and change our society's automatic associations when it comes to how babies and young children are fed, raised, spoken to, and how normal and wonderful breastfeeding our children actually is.
Rating:  Summary: Unfortunately Disappointing Review: Okay, so this book isn't going to win any awards for text or picture quality but it's not awful. I was actually expecting the picture quality to be worse than it is from some of the reviews. I'm just glad there's a board book out there about nursing. Perhaps if some of the major publishers would publish a book about breastfeeding it would be of better quality. It looks to me like the author paid to have it printed in Thailand herself, so yeah for her for doing it! I really do think it's a shame there aren't more books about nursing, it's a HUGE part of my sons life right now- mine too :) I mean what's the deal people? Too scared to talk about boobies? The only draw back with this book for me is it reminds my son of nursing and then he kind of looks at me like, hey that's not a bad idea... and he is nursing!
Rating:  Summary: My daughter's favorite book! Review: Thank you so much for carrying the book, "I'm Made of Mama's Milk"! There are so few breastfeeding books--especially for toddlers about toddlers! It is my daughter's favorite book! (She'll be 2 this July.)
Rating:  Summary: Could use a facelift, but the content is wonderful! Review: The photos are grainy, the poetry choppy. But this is one of only a very few that celebrate nursing, especially of an older baby/toddler. I would love to have a million books about mama milk to choose from, but until then, this one is well worth looking past the imperfections! My toddler loves it for the familiar images, and I love it for the positive portrayal of a normal human behavior that is hard to find in our culture!
Rating:  Summary: Love this book!!! Review: This is a beautiful story of a nursling enjoying her breastmilk throughout the day. My children love to read it, it completely describes our day! I can't wait for more books from this author :)
Rating:  Summary: Love this book!!! Review: This is a beautiful story of a nursling enjoying her breastmilk throughout the day. My children love to read it, it completely describes our day! I can't wait for more books from this author :)
Rating:  Summary: Every nursing toddler should have a copy of this book! Review: This is a wonderful book writen from the prespective of a nursing toddler. This is a nice sized board book with 24 pages! I believe it is the only board book about breastfeeding. Though it has beautiful pictures,they could be a little sharper and brighter. The book has a wonderful verse. My son loves to read this while he nurses. I can't tell you how many times we have read it. I feel that reading this book with my son is a way of showing him how special he is and how wonderful it is that we have this special bond together.
|