Oh My Baby, Little One: A Heartwarming Bird Story About Family Love and Saying Goodbye for Children

by Kathi Appelt, Jane Dyer (Illustrator)

When Baby Bird says good-bye to his mama at school each morning, he feels sad. Mama Bird feels sad, too. Sometimes it's hard to be apart. But as Mama Bird says, the love they share is with them always, keeping them close until the best part of the day--when they are together again. •From the illustrator of the bestselling Time for Bed, with more than 725,000 copies sold •A heartwarming story about the universal experience of parents and children being temporarily separated

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Family, Love, School, Fiction, Self Esteem

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Lives in College Station, TX with husband Ken and four adorable cats.

Two sons, both musicians.

Serves on the faculty at Vermont College of Fine Arts in the MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults Program.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh so much tugging of the heartstrings. If it's a hit with you and your little one now, you might want to buy it, then hand it down to them when they head out on their own for college or career. First and last verse made it real, not saccharine, imo.

I love that the setting is very human, but the illustrator used a variety of critters to represent the people, thus ensuring diversity of ethnicity. I don't see anyone with special needs, but I do see a diversity of personalities. And I love that the mom is a dress designer in, apparently, a small independent shop. No dad visible, but no clue he's actually absent, either.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A couple years ago, my dear friend, Stacey, recommended this book to me. My girls instantly loved it, and it became part of the favorites' stack. Eventually, we were not reading it every night, and it found a place on the bookshelf.

They just started Kindergarten, and this book has become part of our nighttime reading again. It is an endearing book that brings comfort to both parent and child.

[Hafidha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is about a mama bird whose little one has to go to daycare while she works. Maybe she is a single/widowed mom (there is no mention of a daddy bird), or maybe this is a two-income household. In any case, she wants the little bird to know that "the hardest thing I do/is hold you tight, then let you go,/ and walk away from you."

I found that last of the opening lines to be a little awkward, but beyond that, it's a good read. The rhyming is nice, and the illustrations are very warm and quaint. I don't work outside the home, but my toddler loves this book nonetheless, and enjoys all the drawings of the little one's surroundings and belongings. This is a fun book to read, and I appreciated that there is one illustration of the mama bird having coffee with a friend after work; imagine that - a mother taking a little bit of time to herself but still missing and loving her little one!

Pros:
Simple language
Strong emphasis on love, affection, closeness
Illustrations are large with right amount of detail for a tot
Deals with oft-overlooked subject matter (working moms)
Pages are a good thickness, and well-bound

Cons:
Feels a few pages too long.

[Dolly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great story about a Mom dropping her baby off at school and thinking about her all day long. I loved this book and so did our girls - we've read it at least a dozen times! And we still borrow it from time to time from the library.

[Desi A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ordered this to help JP with preschool morning goodbyes. I almost bawled my eyes out reading it to him the first time (which probably would work at cross-purposes to my goal with this book). It is such a sweet message for both parent and child and the illustrations are just too sweet for words.

[Hannah Fay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kathi Appelt's book Oh My Baby, Little One is a sweet book that can be a perfect book for children when they are starting to do activities away from their parents. The book walks through a day when a mama bird and baby bird are busy throughout the day. The mama bird is at work and the baby is beginning school. The book takes the reader throughout both of their days while explaining that no matter where they are, love still follows. On every page a hidden heart can be seen. This represents the love they both have for each other. As the mama bird drinks coffee, does work, and talks to her friends, there is always a heart showing how her love for her little one never fades. Throughout the baby birds day hearts are found in his backpack, on the play ground, and in his school work. In the end of the book mother and son are reunited at home.
I love this book! My mom and dad used to read it to me when I started school. This book is a beautiful representation of a mothers love. It is excellent for teaching children how to deal with homesickness. It can be used for a child's first day of school, or their first time doing anything away from their parents! It is such a sweet way to teach children how love works. It shows them they are never far from the people who love them. Wherever they go love will follow! The illustrations are beautiful and searching for the hearts on each page is a fun activity for the kids. It is a great lesson for children and is beautifully written and illustrated.

[RosaDG · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful poem-story that exposes the various ways in which affection between loved ones remains even if we are not close to each other. Beautiful illustrations too!

Olerki-istorio ederra, elkarrengandik hurbil egon ez arren, maiteen arteko afektuak irauten dituen hainbat modu azaltzen dituena. Ilustrazio ederrak ere!

Un precioso poema-cuento que expone las diversas maneras en que el cariño entre los seres queridos permanece aunque no estemos cerca unas personas de otras. Preciosas ilustraciones también!

[Heatherfife · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my childrens’ favorite books. The story is very relatable as all mommies have to leave their children at some point, for some amount of time. It reassures children that mommies still love them and want them to be happy when they have to be away. I think the way it’s written and illustrated, and the sweet emotions it evokes, actually helped my children to more fully feel the love I had for them.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this aloud to myself in Spanish. My tongue sure fought with me on lots of the sounds. I need to read it more often so I can roll my /R/ properly.

The story was sad that the mother and baby had to be separated before they were ready. What a nicer world it would be if everyone could wait to be apart.

[Nancy Kiernan · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a working mom with toddlers, this was the most wonderful book. We read it every single night. My boys had it memorized. We would recite the first few pages of this poem at day care drop off every morning. How I miss those days! Absolutely love! I cannot wait to pass this book down to my grandchildren some day for my boys to share this story with their kids.

[Dallin Christensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sweet book with a message that no matter how far apart you are, your love for each other stays close to your heart!

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harmonious text and illustrations that reassure young ones that they are always remembered, always loved. Great story to be read nightly.

[Kelsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I related to the message in this book, and liked the mother bird’s fashion style, but the illustrations and text were a little too outdated for me.

[Deb Best · Rating 5 out of 5]

This “children’s book” is balm to a working mama’s heart. I got it from the library just to read to myself.

[Beverlee Jobrack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful.

[Nanny B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet rhyming book about being a part. Great for 1st day of school.

[Cuquis Sandoval · Rating 4 out of 5]

Escrito en verso, excelente para que los niños puedan sentir y expresar el amor de su madre, aun y cuando estén separados por el tiempo escolar.

[Sean Harding · Rating 3 out of 5]

Appelt Box #3
Mother's love for her child expressed in poetic flowery language, hard to see a young reader getting overtly excited about this, more for a parent, or an adult reflecting on childhood.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story to get ready for saying goodbye in the early years at school.

[Jeani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this quite a bit, even though it is a tried and true topic, the prose made it feel fresh.

[Valeria ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

hi i just cried uncontrollably after finding this at the local library i love my mom

[Miss Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Baby bird is off to school. Mama bird tells him how to remember love is always with you.

[Ygrable · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cuando mamá tiene que volver al trabajo…

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of this book - that it is very hard for a mother to leave her children and go to work is a true one for many mothers - a true one for many fathers as well. And the premise that that love never stops and stays with us all day long is very true as well. Those concepts coupled with lovely, happy pictures make this a very pleasant read.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice book for a parent to read aloud to a child before sending them off to school (kinder or preschool age, especially). Mama Bird is dropping her baby off to school and telling her baby how much she loves him.
"So blow a kiss and wave good-bye-
my baby, don't you cry.
This love is always with you,
like the sun is with the sky."

Then the mama explains that the love will stay by the child's side throughout all the activities at school...singing along, nestling in the child's pocket, slipping inside the lunch box, sitting on the child's lap as he listens to a story.

Reminds me a bit of The Kissing Hand. I might like this a bit better, though. Perhaps because it was new to me or perhaps because I rather liked that it was written in verse. The illustrations are lovely too. My 5 year old didn't want to read it at first, because she is NOT a baby anymore. But she ended up really liking it and it seemed to calm some of her fears regarding starting kinder. We may read it again on Tuesday, the night before school begins.

[Saviggia · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most challenging things for me as a mother, is leaving my daughter each day to go to work. So, when I opened Kathi Appelt’s book and read the first line, “oh my baby, little one, the hardest thing I do is hold you tight, then let you go and walk away from you.”, I was hooked! This quickly became a favorite read for me and my child in the evenings. It created a fun way for us to talk about how the love we have for each other is always with us, even though we may be apart throughout the day. Just like in the story, we would look for our love in our pockets, under our hats and pillows and then when we had exhausted our search, we would close our eyes and just feel it. Even just looking at the cover of this book makes me smile. If you are a teacher of young ones and have students with working moms, this book is a great one to have in your arsenal, and a great one to share with the parents.

[Samantha Glasser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a mother's love letter to her child, explaining that she loves them in everything they do throughout the day even if she isn't there to tell them. It is sweetly illustrated with hidden hearts all over the page. My son enjoys reading it too.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good story for youngsters just starting school, Mama bird says goodbye to her youngster and assures him that her love follows him throughout the day. This is recommended as a lap read for children who are showing some anxiety about being separated from home. If I had read this book to my girls, they would probably have been confused about WHY the child might cry, but I know there are many kiddos who struggle with those first days of school. The poem is tender and the illustrations are soft and beautiful.

[Marisela Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review
A good story for children starting school. This book assures children that after school their mom will be back. This book is comforting for children with separation anxiety.

Learning Experience
During circle time greet the children with this song.
Look Who Came to School Today
(tune: Mary Had A Little Lamb)
Look who came to school today
school today, school today
look who came to school today,
______ (child's name) did.

The child named gets up and dances as children clap. Repeat with all the children's names, including the teacher's name

[Cammym · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one goes in the category with I'll Love You Forever and The Giving Tree. It has its purpose but is a little to sappy for me. The illustrations are really adorable and it would be great for parents to read to their kids when they are very young. A mother hates to have to leave her little one at day care (preschool?) while she works, but she assures him that her love will be with him while they are apart.

Picture book, relationships, love.