Llama Llama Mad At Mama

Llama, Llama mad at Mama

Author/Illustrator:  Anna Dewdney

Copyright:  2007

Publisher:  Penguin Group

Number of Pages:  30

Genre: Poetry

            I chose this book because I had read another book in the series and I really liked it.  This is a story about the relationship between a baby llama and his mama.  In the book Llama is playing and mama says it is time to go to the store.   Llama falls asleep in the car.  When they arrive at the store llama looks exhausted and starts to whine.  Llama is ready to go but mama looks like she is ready to shop till she drops.  Mama Llama tells Llama she is just glad that they are together.  She tells Llama that they should make it all fun.  They clean up the mess and then Llama gets to have a treat.

            I just happened to email the author to ask her about her style of illustrating.  She responded to my email!  She told me that she painted oils on canvas.  She also uses oil pastels and colored - pencils on top of the paint.   There is a bold use of colors throughout the book.  She uses a lot of warm colors.  The illustrations are very expressive, especially when depicting baby Llama’s face.  The text placement is informal.   There are endpapers in the book but they are not glued to the cover.  The endpapers have pictures of things that you might see in the grocery store.

            This book would be appropriate for ages 3-8 years old.  I would use this book in the classroom to discuss responsibility.  Baby Llama threw a huge fit in the store.  Mama made Llama take responsibility for his actions and makes him clean up his mess.  I would also use this to talk about poetry books and rhyme.  I would also use this in a sequencing activity.  I would have the students to list the events in the story in order.  This book has received the Missouri Building Block Picture Book Award and the Booksense Book of the Year Award, Honor Book, 2008.