Review Detail

Mommy Crumbs was not always called Mommy Crumbs, her name used to be Paula but since she would get crumbs all over herself whenever she ate, her children and granddaughters named her Mommy Crumbs. Mommy Crumbs had a dog named Leon who loved to eat her stew but one day Leon passes away and Mommy Crumbs is left alone. Mommy Crumbs’ granddaughters give her a baby chick to look after and she instantly falls in love and the two are now inseparable. As Mommy Crumbs gets older, the chick gets bigger until it is even bigger than her and now Mommy Crumbs can fly on the bird. Mommy Crumbs says goodbye to her family as she flies away on this chick that was gifted to her.

What I Liked: A lot of the new picture books that are coming out in the more recent years touch upon death in a way that feels magical. This is a great way to introduce the subject of getting old and death to young children in a way that doesn’t fill them with fear. This book doesn’t mention that Mommy Crumbs has passed away yet it does mention that she has gotten older and older and then she suddenly leaves with the magical chicken therefore it is implied that she has passed away.

The images in this book are fun and entertaining, they will have you laughing as Mommy Crumbs covers herself with crumbs and as a small chicken suddenly becomes bigger than Mommy Crumbs. The book transforms from an everyday setting to a magical realist setting as Mommy crumbs grows older and is spending time with her magical bird. These images transport you to another land in the sky in which the images turn to darker colors.

Final Verdict: Mommy Crumbs is a cute and fun story about growing old that also touches upon leaving earth through magical means. This is a great book to introduce children to the concept of people growing older and the changes that happen as people get older, as well as what happens when someone is no longer with us. Adults can use this book to begin various conversations with children and ask their perspectives on growing older and what they believe happens as people grow older.