Picturebook Review: Working Mummies by Joan Horton

Working Mummies, written by Joan Horton and illustrated by Drazen Kozjan, is a combination of monster giggles and the truth about mothers that work outside the home. The book offers looks at the working lives of moms, that just happen to be mummies, on the job. Dentist, doctor, librarian, writer mummies and others will the pages with visual and verbal puns while explaining with some working moms come home slightly the worse for wear.

Working Mummies is a fun book that can give children an idea of what their moms might be doing at work. There are punny plays on words and hidden gems in the illustrations that can entertain readers of all ages. The look inside many careers can help kids cope with the time their parents might focus on work rather than them, and help them understand why moms just might be a little tired at the end of the day. My only disappointment is that the majority of the jobs are in traditional fields for women, and I would have been even happier to see this book with a more eclectic group of jobs, especially one or two that are male dominated.

Working Mummies works well in a classroom, library, or home environment. It can be a great discussion started on what parents do at work, and how they feel about their mother working (or not working). The book can also be a great tool for introducing the idea of mom beginning to work outside the home.