Mars Needs Moms!

Breathed, B. (2007). Mars needs moms. New York: Philomel Books.

Genre: Science Fiction
Format: Picture
Recommended Age: 8+

Children of all ages will love this book, as its 3-D animations and relateable themes will capture any child's attention. Like most children, Milo has little appreciation for his "bellowing broccoli bully"and "slave-driving, trash-mashing, rubbish odor ogre" of a mother, yet all of this changes when martians kidnap his mother and take her to Mars. In Milo's attempt to rescue his mother, he discovers all of the many wonderful things that mothers bring to a child's life, and at one point his own mother's sacrifical love for him is enough to melt any parent's heart. While the concepts of martians and a kidnapped mother might be a bit frightening for some children, children above eight will undoubtedly love the illustrations and plot twists in this book, and adults will find it a good platform for many discussions with their children.

Brozio-Andrews, A. Mars needs moms [Review of the book Mars Needs Moms!]. Retrieved March 6, 2010 from http://www.imperfectparent.com/books/articles431_1.php.

Amy Brozio-Andrews could not have given Mars Needs Moms a more raving review. True to a little boy's perspective, and complementary of classic science fiction, Ms. Andrews dubs this book "a book that parents and children can share together, speaking volumes about the selfless love of parents for their children, no matter how many times we, like Milo's mother, might have to tell them how inappropriate sister-tinting is." She could not have put it better when she said "Breathed keeps the tone and illustrations irreverent enough to save the book from becoming morbid or depressing. While younger readers may not fully understand the implications of Milo's mother giving up her helmet to save her child, they'll still celebrate Milo's overcoming the Martian invasion and abduction of his mother." I couldn't agree with Ms. Andrews' review any more and found her insight into dealing with the scarier subjects of the book incredibly helpful.