-Fiction: Picture Book Family Values
-Scott, Anne H. On Mother’s Lap Illus by Glo Coalson 1971, Unp, Primary

-On Mother’s Lap is a short, but warming story from the perspective of a young boy named Michael who struggles sharing his mother’s lap with baby sister. It’s not until Mother repetitively soothes and nurtures Michael and baby that he understands that family feels good. This simple, yet feel-good story of an Alaskan family is a marvelous depiction of family values.
-Keywords: Dog sled, Mukluks, Anorak, Canoe

-Activity: Read another book with family values and lesson and have students share the comparisons and differences between the two. ( )

On mothers lap annotations
1/22/24

Childrens books
Picture book

On Mothers lap
Realistic picture story book Mothers loving caring and reading.

Scott, Ann Herbert On Mothers Lap Illus Glo Coulson, ne: Clarion,1992
Unp Primary

It is set in a northern home and is an Alaska Native Mother that show her son Michael that there is always room on mother’s lap for him and his brother and even their toys. This story is shows the love between a mother and a sons. And patience that one must have while raising little ones. I hear the Michael as he explains what is happening. It shows the love and reading between a mom and her sons. It made me think of my mom reading to us as Children and me and my siblings fighting over whose turn it was to pick a book. I think the point of view is that of the eyes of the children. The illustrations look to be drawing with color pencil or oil pastels. I enjoyed this book it made me think of my mom reading to me and now how I read to my own kids.

Plot Reading a book.
Characters Mom and two children
Setting A home in northern Alaska
Theme Alaska native childrens picture book
Style Narrative
Tone is loving reading
Point of view
Illustrations look to
What you think of the book ( )

On Mother’s Lap is a cute story that follows a child named Michael in a traditional northern (Alaskan) home as he collects his favorite belongings while he rocks on his mother’s lap and his experience with sharing with his baby brother. The book is repetitive and soothing with illustrations that are as soft and comforting as the text. This is a simple book with a comforting message that would be suitable for younger students and/or students who are learning to share.
Alaska Connection: Illustrations show a traditional northern (Alaskan) home and a traditional family.
Related activity: Discuss Alaskan Native values, sharing, love and family. ( )

Michael loves to rock on his mother’s lap in their cozy cabin in Alaska, but he keeps bringing more things onto her lap. When his baby sister wants to join them, he thinks there won’t be space, but as his mother says, there is always room on mother’s lap. Colorful oil pastel illustrations and a COZY, CHILD-CENTERED world create an appealing story of a nurturing mother and a happy child.

Michael, a preschool Inuit boy discovers there is always room on mother’s lap. The illustrator’s soft sketches of a traditional Inuit home lend to the gentle and inviting flow of a boy’s simple but special snuggle with his mother. ( )