Mama Elizabeti: Book Review of Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen's Book

"Mama Elizabeti", written by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen the author of "Elizabeti's Doll", and illustrated by Christy Hale features a little girl named Elizabeti and her baby brother, Obedi. Elizabeti's mama has a new baby, Flora, and Elizabeti now has to take care of Obedi while her mama cares for Flora.

This is an excellent book for showing older children the responsibility they'll be expected to take on when a new brother or sister is born. Regardless of the responsibilities a child will be assuming, be it grabbing a new diaper from the changing table or entertaining older children while their parents attend to the newborn, "Mama Elizabeti" teaches in a gentle way how to deal with such responsibility.

In the book Elizabeti has a rock doll that she named Eva and she has taken care of this rock doll in the past as if it were a baby. Throughout the book we learn along with Elizabeti that a baby and a doll must be cared for differently which is great preparation for those who have chosen to get their child a doll to help them understand how to care for a new baby.

The differences between a doll and a real baby come to an exciting peak when Elizabeti fails to take into account the abilities of a real baby. After a couple pages of drama, everything is worked out and Elizabeti learns a lesson in baby care.

The lovely pictures in the book gently complement the story. With vivid detail in the features of the main characters of the book and a background of softened colors and images, this book's imagery will capture the imagination of a child and let it run wild. The characters almost seem alive on the page as we see them walking, sitting, and loving their family members. The true to life clothing and expressions give the impression that these are more than just fictional characters. The characters in "Mama Elizabeti" seem more like real people than drawings.

By the time the ending of the book is reached, one truly understands why the prequel, "Elizabeti's Doll", received recognitions such as Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award, "Child" magazine Best Book of the Year, and ALA Notable Book. This book is truly a rich and beautiful story and a wonderful way to inform a child of some of the expected responsibilities of an older sibling when a new baby arrives. Even if there is no new baby coming, "Mama Elizabeti" is a sweet and gentle book to read to any child.