Laney's Lost Momma
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When Laney can't find her mother in the department store, she--and her lost momma--remember exactly what to do to find each other.School Library JournalPreS-K-- Laney, an adorable preschooler, finds herself in a common department store predicament. She pops out from under a row of skirts, only to discover that the woman she is trying to surprise is not her mother after all. In fact, a frantic search convinces her that Momma is lost. Meanwhile, Laney's mother is having the same thoughts. Both of them remember the shopping rule that Laney should never leave the store without her mother, and a clerk in the shoe department reunites the pair via the store's loudspeaker. Max's Dragon Shirt (Dial, 1991) by Rosemary Wells communicates the same reassurance (there are friendly sales people that can help a lost child) with more panache and less didacticism. However, the positive points of this book are worth noticing. The watercolor art captures the energy and variety of a crowded department store. Laney and her mother are African-American, while the other shoppers and store employees are of myriad races, shapes, and ages. Finally, this parent has a positive reaction to her ``found'' child; overcoming any annoyance, she ``swept her up and hugged her close.'' --Lisa S. Murphy, Dauphin County Library System, Harrisburg, PA
