Cynically Sweet (Booklikes)

Momma Days, Mommy Days by Isabella Moreno is a wonderful little book about a child experiencing divorce. It's told from her perspective and, through her eyes, we get a guided tour of what's she's feeling. It begins with how happy she is with her two mothers and that they're a family. Soon, she finds out that they don't want to be together anymore and she takes notice of the changes this decision makes. She begins new experiences with each mother and finds that there are good things to be experienced with divorce, even though part of her family is missing.

The most fantastic bit of this book is, of course, the imagery. The full page pictures are semi realistic and each scene has a beautiful image attached. I like that both Momma and Mommy have different roles to play in the book, like any parent would have in any family across the world. The little girl's confusion at divorce is understandable within these pages; the author has made the decision to keep very little details on the actual reasons, that it's simply an "adult" decision. I think that makes a little bit more relatable because there are so many reasons for a marriage to break up and simply not explaining a reason leaves it very open for interpretation. I also like that the little girl is making new friends because of this experience; it gives the divorce a happier note. Though she doesn't get to be with both mothers, at least she'll meet new people and get to go new places. The only problem I have with characters is with the grandparents, they don't really hold much relevance in the book as I don't believe that we actually meet them. We are simply told that, one morning, the girl looks for one mother and finds her to be in the grandparents' room. I felt that it could have been a little more open, especially considering we don't meet the pair; that she (the mother in question) might just be sleeping in a different room of the house, rather than making specifics (as many children don't have grandparents living with them).

The plot is great. It takes the complex issue of divorce and makes it a lot more understandable for children, while offering many examples of what a child in a similar situation might experience. It's sad, but I believe that it has a very hopeful outlook. The little girl makes friends and we get to look at her experiences as a new adventure, where she'll go to new places and meet new people. In the same respect that it could be for many children, I think that this book can also be helpful to children who don't have divorced/divorcing parents. It can be helpful if they don't understand why a friend(s)' parents are breaking up, for a child moving to a new home, or even in the situation that one parent might need to go away for a while (work, taking an important trip, etc).

Overall, I think it is a fantastic representation of what might happen in a child's life. Whether it is a girl, a boy or the parents are LGTB or not, I think that it gives very good examples of things a child might go through in such a difficult time. The author has kept the book simple with very open events. The images are beautiful and perfectly convey each passage. I think it will be a valuable aid to any parent trying to help their child understand a divorce.

I received a free copy of this story as a prize from the FirstReads program in exchange for an honest review.