Quill & Quire
In an era in which everyone seems obsessed with diets and fitness schemes, this picture book weighs in on the side of the pleasantly portly. Lebanese-French author Olivier Ka writes from the perspective of a little boy who describes, with great appreciation, the lovable bulk of his “great big mamma.” Stares from strangers only make him proud of how big she is, and although she takes up two seats on the bus, he sits on her knee so they take up only their fair share of space – and he has the most comfortable seat of anyone! Mamma’s warm and happy nature begins to change, however, when she goes on a diet. Horrified that Mamma is losing her smile along with her bulk, the boy goes on a diet, too, refusing food for a variety of imaginative and absurd reasons, until Mamma decides to stop bothering about other people’s opinions of her. Meals become a feast once more, smiles come back, and mother and son bask in their unconditional love and acceptance of each other. Admirable as this theme may be, however, Ka – or perhaps his translator – doesn’t always give a convincing sense of the child’s voice, and the theme of enveloping mother love is sometimes queasily overstated. Quebec illustrator Luc Melanson works in soft, rounded shapes and warm colours that suit his subject, as do his simple but expressive faces. His exaggerations of the proportional sizes of mother and little boy humorously reflect the sense of comfort and security to be found not only in having an attractively well-padded parent, but in accepting ourselves for who we are.
by Tim Beiser
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