Mama Needs a Minute

Sloan, founder of online space the Weird Mom Club, relays an ode to self-care and parenting’s hectic nature in this board book. Addressing an unnamed child in uneven meter, the narrator describes her devotion (“I’ll make you those funny pancakes you like”) while communicating an appeal that’s likely familiar to most caretakers: “This mama needs a minute.” Simple illustrations in a limited, modern palette portray blue-, green-, and lavender-skinned mothers and children playing together—and taking moments apart. Extolling the virtues of “me time” amid parenthood’s plentiful requirements, Sloan succeeds in gently encouraging healthy boundaries between children and their respective adults. After all, kids “need it too./ Some time to explore the world—just you.” Ages 2–4. [em](Feb.) [/em]