Quick picks: our top recommendations
| Book | Author | Find It |
|---|---|---|
| My Mum Says the Strangest Things | Check on Amazon → | |
| How I Love You | Check on Amazon → | |
| Awesome Aussie Things To Do With Mum | Check on Amazon → | |
| Mummy, You’re Special To Me | Check on Amazon → | |
| What Makes My Mum Happy | Check on Amazon → | |
| Mummy’s Kisses | Check on Amazon → |
Below are 31 titles in total — we’ve highlighted our 6 favourites above. Each one links straight through to Amazon AU.
Sharing a book with your child is one of the most special moments we can experience as parents. Even better is sharing a special book that only the two of you read together. Below are some precious books that celebrate the love of a mother and the relationship she has with her children.
One of these books would make a perfect Mothers’ Day gift.
…and here is a printer-friendly version of the list in case you want to leave subtle hints for your partner and children.
My Mum Says the Strangest Things
Author: Katrina Germein
Illustrator: Tom Jellett
ISBN: 978-1922179562
Find My Mum Says the Strangest Things on Amazon AU →
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Black Dog Books (Walker Books Australia), April 2014
Katrina Germein and Tom Jellet take a close look at the things that mothers say.
This book is so spot-on, it’s hilarious. Mothers and children will chuckle their way through this book of idioms commonly used by mothers; sayings they use when they’re frustrated (You’re driving me round the bend) or when they really don’t know the answers (Two wrongs don’t make a right).
Suitable for ages: 4+
How I Love You
Author/Illustrator: Anna Pignataro
ISBN: 978-1742838182
Find How I Love You on Amazon AU →
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Scholastic Australia, March 2014
Let Anna Pignataro take you on a journey through the Australian bush with her sweet illustrations, and find out how various Australian animals show love to their mothers. Koalas hug, platypuses kiss, dingoes nuzzle, and owls nestle. A charming book that children will love re-enacting with their own mums.
Suitable for ages: 2+
Awesome Aussie Things To Do With Mum
Illustrator: Simon Williams
ISBN: 978-1742839950
Find Awesome Aussie Things To Do With Mum on Amazon AU →
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Scholastic Australia, April 2014
Children will never be bored again, neither will their mums. This is a comprehensive little book of activities broken into five sections (In the Backyard, Games, Home Sweet Home, Stuff to Do on Rainy Days, and Beach Daze), ensuring there is something fun for every child and their mum to do TOGETHER.
Suitable for ages: 6+
Mummy, You’re Special To Me
Author: Laine Mitchell
Illustrator: Kim Fleming
ISBN: 978-1742839813
Find Mummy, You’re Special To Me on Amazon AU →
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Scholastic Australia, April 2014
This is a celebration of wonderful motherly traits told with rhyming text and fun illustrations.
Suitable for ages: 3+
What Makes My Mum Happy
Author: Tania Cox
Illustrator: Lorette Broekstra
ISBN: 978-1742378374
Find What Makes My Mum Happy on Amazon AU →
Format: Hardback
Publisher: Allen & Unwin, April 2012
This book is an ode to making mums happy. There is a sing-song rhythm to the text, which makes it wonderful for reading aloud to very young children.
After reading this story you’ll soon realise that it doesn’t take much to make a mother happy. A kiss, a cuddle, making a mess in the bath and galloping around the house will bring a mother just as much joy as those tasks that require time and effort, like cooking breakfast or creating a crown.
Lorette Broekstra’s bright and bold illustrations of various families help to create this feel-good book.
Suitable for ages: 1+ (★★★★)
Mummy’s Kisses
Author: Paula Clark
Illustrator: Lisa Stewart
ISBN: 978-1742831220
Find Mummy’s Kisses on Amazon AU →
Format: Hardback
Publisher: Scholastic Australia, April 2012
Mummy’s Kisses is a tender story, complemented perfectly by the sweet collage-style illustrations which have been created with pastel-coloured washi paper.
A tiny echidna starts his day with a kiss from Mum before he sets out on some new adventures: climbing trees, meeting new friends and learning to swim.
Little echidna is wary and unsure as he encounters each new task, but his mother is never far away; she’s always there to give the right kiss and offer the right encouragement.
Suitable for ages: 2+ (★★★★)
A Bit Lost
Author and Illustrator: Chris Haughton
ISBN:978-1406333831
Find A Bit Lost on Amazon AU →
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Walker Books, May 2011
After falling from her tree, Little Owl is desperate to find her mother. After some confused assistance from a friendly squirrel, Little Owl is finally reunited with her mum. Read our full review here.
Suitable for ages 2+ (★★★★★)
I Love My Mum
Author: Anna Walker
ISBN:978-0007309160
Find I Love My Mum on Amazon AU →
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Scholastic Australia, March 2011
Ollie loves Mum – and Mum loves Ollie! Anna Walker has perfectly captured the bond between a mother and child in simple, everyday activities, as Ollie and Mum spend a special day together. Read our full review here.
Suitable for ages 1+ (★★★★)
I Love My Mummy
Author and Illustrator: Giles Andreae and Emma Dodd
ISBN:978-1408309575
Find I Love My Mummy on Amazon AU →
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Hachette Children’s Books (Orchard), April 2011
A frivolous, rhyming book with illustrations that fill each page. This charming book shows just how much fun mummy and child can have in one day.
Suitable for ages 1+ (★★★★★)
Just Like You
Author: Jan Fearnley
ISBN: 9781405218870
Find Just Like You on Amazon AU →
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Hardie Grant Egmont Books, March 2011
‘What makes me special?’ is what the Little Mouse wonders in this story. His mother takes him on a journey of discovery before she tucks him into bed and tells him how special he really is. Read more in our book spotlight.
Suitable for ages 2+ (★★★)
My Mum’s the Best
Author and Illustrator: Rosie Smith and Bruce Whately
ISBN:978-1741698435
Find My Mum’s the Best on Amazon AU →
Format: Hardback
Publisher: Scholastic Australia
Beautifully illustrated with delightful animals, My Mum’s the Best captures the fun-loving bond between mother and child. From big, cozy bear hugs to bathing elephants. Whether big or small, feathered or furry, mums always know how to make us feel special!
Suitable for ages 1+ (★★★★★)
I Love You Mummy
Catherine Vase
EAN:978-1862338098
Format: Board book
Publisher: Gullane Childrens Books (Walker Books), February 2011
Published: February 2011
If Mummy were a place, thinks Little Elephant, she would be a golden summer meadow. If she were a fruit, she’d be a sweet red strawberry. But what would Mummy be if she were a sound, a bird or something bright . . . ? This warm and delightfully imaginative board book celebrates the relationship between mother and child – and is the perfect stimulus for exploring love with someone special in your life!
Suitable for ages 2+ (★★★)
Dearest Mum (Country Companions)
Author: Helen Ford
ISBN:978-1405257190
Find Dearest Mum (Country Companions) on Amazon AU →
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Hardie Grant Egmont Books, February 2011
Dear, Mum, you`re the best so now I`m going to try To tell you in just one small book All the reasons why. This book is a warm, funny tribute to mums everywhere, and makes a perfect Mother’s Day or birthday gift.
Suitable for ages 4+ (★★★)
Just Like My Mum
Author: David Melling
ISBN:978-0340999837
Find Just Like My Mum on Amazon AU →
Format: Board book
Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books (Hachette Children’s Books), February 2010
A board book version of this wonderful celebration of the mother/child relationship.
Have you ever wanted to be just like your mum? This little lion cub wants to be like his mother! A funny tale with adorable illustrations showing the importance of mother love.
Suitable for ages 1+ (★★★★)
Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too?
Author: Eric Carle
ISBN:978-0694014569
Check current price on Amazon AU →
Format: Board book
Publisher: HarperCollins, April 2002
Meet the little joey, whose kangaroo mother carries him in her pouch. See the cygnet riding on the back of the mother swan. Eric Carle′s colourful collages of animal babies with their caring and affectionate mothers offer small readers visual delight as well as comforting reassurance.
The playful question-and-answer text invites children and adults to read aloud together. Repetition of key phrases helps preschoolers take the first step toward reading readiness. And the game-like format makes it easy and fun to discover more about the world of nature and to learn the common names of some familiar – and some not-so-familiar – animals. A bonus page at the back of the book lists the correct but sometimes surprising names of animal babies, their parents, and groups.
Eric Carle is the creator of many beloved picture books for very small children. Here he offers a beautiful way for parents and children to share the knowledge that love crosses all boundaries and ties all creatures on this earth together.
Suitable for ages 1+ (★★★★★)
Are You My Mum?
Author: Susan Hall
ISBN:978-0642277152
Check current price on Amazon AU →
Format: Board Book
Publisher: National Library of Australia, July 2010
A cygnet hatches out of sight of its mother and looks for her throughout the pages. She questions each different bird: ‘Are you my Mum?’ Meet Australian birds with this colourful board book from the National Library of Australia.
Suitable for ages 1
My Mum
Author: Anthony Browne
ISBN:978-0385613675
Format: Board book
Publisher: Doubleday UK, March 2008
This is a heartwarming tribute to mums filled with adorable illustrations and enriching text that will encourage children to appreciate their own mums.
Suitable for ages 2+ (★★★★)
Don’t Let the Aliens Get My Marvellous Mum!
Author and Illustrator: Gillian Shields and Liz Pichon
ISBN: 9781862338371
Find Don’t Let the Aliens Get My Marvellous Mum! on Amazon AU →
Format: Board Book
Publisher: Gullane Children’s Books (Walker Books), April 2011
If Mum wasn’t there to do all those wonderful things mums do – like make special cakes, give big smiles and invent great days out – life would be, well, ALIEN.. Find out how in this glorious celebration of mothers!
Suitable for ages 4+ (★★★)
Spot Loves his Mum
Author: Eric Hill
ISBN:978-0723257479
Find Spot Loves his Mum on Amazon AU →
Format: Board book
Publisher: Penguin, April 2006
Spot loves spending time with his mum, Sally. Each spread shows Sally and Spot having fun together in this brightly coloured board book. From playing hide-and-seek to eating Sally’s cakes, every day is a fun day with Spot and Sally!
Suitable for ages 1+ (★★★★)
I Want My Mum
Author: Tony Ross
ISBN:978-0007254491
Find I Want My Mum on Amazon AU →
Format: Paperback
Publisher: HarperCollins Children’s Books, May 2008
When things don′t go well for the Little Princess, she knows there is only one person who can make them better, so she yells, “I WANT MY MUM!” But when the Little Princess finally learns to cope on her own, how does the Queen feel? My Little Bookcase loves this book because we know how hard it is to let our children be independent. No matter how old our children are we always want them to come to Mummy.
Suitable for ages 2+ (★★★★★)
I’m Glad You’re My Mum
Author and Illustrator: Cathy Phelan and Danielle McDonald
ISBN:978-0230746602
Find I’m Glad You’re My Mum on Amazon AU →
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Black Dog Books, February 2010
Sometimes kids need help to say the things they really feel. A book for you to complete and give as the perfect gift for your Mum. My Little Bookcase loves this book because of its personal touch. For each page of this book, there is a page for children to decorate and personalise for their own mum.
Suitable for ages 4+ (★★★★★)
My Mum
Author: Jeanette Rowe
ISBN:978-0733314605
Format: Paperback
Publisher: ABC Books (HarperCollins Children’s Books), April 2005
Every mum will love to read this warm and charming book aloud to their young one. Open each flap on the spreads to reveal the things we love about our mums. My Mum… helps me get dressed. My Mum…plays peekaboo with me. My Mum… makes yummy food. My Mum… makes me feel better. My Mum… reads to me. My Mum… whispers secrets to me. My Mum… loves me. Each book contains a special place where readers can paste a photo of their very own mum! My Little Bookcase loves this book because flaps are always a hit for toddlers and preschoolers. We also love the special page at the end of the book where there is space for a personal photo of Mummy and child.
Suitable for ages 1+ (★★★★★)
I Spy Mum!
Author and Illustrator: Janeen Brian and Chantal Stewart
ISBN:978-1921042164
Find I Spy Mum! on Amazon AU →
Format: Hardback
Publisher: New Frontier Pty Ltd, May 2010
A little boy searches for his mum. He finds all sorts of interesting mums, a ‘waking mum’, a ‘baking mum’, a ‘camping mum’ and a ‘stamping mum’ but where is his Mum? He finally spies his mum, the one who loves him so. ‘She’s the one for me.’My Little Bookcase loves that Janeen Brian recognises the many mums in the world. Each one is different with different likes and skills but each mum is the best at being Mum to their own child.
Suitable for ages 2+ (★★★★★)
Mum and Me
Author: Annie White
ISBN: 9780733625169
Find Mum and Me on Amazon AU →
Format: Hardback
Publisher: Hachette Australia, March 2010
My mum knows just what I like…she makes me toast with vegemite. A little girl and her mum love to laugh, play hide-and-seek and splash in puddles. But most of all they love being together. This brightly illustrated picture book, told in rhyming verse, celebrates all the fun, exciting and special moments in the day of a mother and child.
Suitable for ages 2+ (★★★★)
Mummies are Amazing
Author: Catriona Hoy
Illustrator: Annie White
ISBN:978-0734411082
Find Mummies are Amazing on Amazon AU →
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Hachette Australia, April 2009
This vibrantly illustrated picture book celebrates mummies and everything they do from making snakes out of stockings and buses out of boxes to kissing sore knees and getting splinters out of little fingers. Mummies are for amazing things!
Suitable for ages 2+ (★★★★)
Mums
Author and Illustrator: David Bedford and Leoni Worthington
ISBN: 9781921049781
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Little Hare (Hardie Grant Egmont), 2007
A lift-the-flap book that looks at mums in all shapes and sizes
Suitable for ages 1+ (★★★★)
The Mummy Book
Author: Todd Parr
ISBN:978-0733317965
Find The Mummy Book on Amazon AU →
Format: Paperback
Publisher: ABC Books, April 2006
With child-like smiling stick figures, bold, brilliant colour and upbeat text, picture-book creator Todd Parr celebrates the diverse, wonderful world of mothers in The Mummy Book. Parr focuses on the differences between individual parents (Some mummies wear jeans, some mummies dress up)
Suitable for ages 2+ (★★★★)
Where’s my Mum?
Author: Susan Hall
ISBN:978-0642276797
Check current price on Amazon AU →
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Antipodes Books and Beyond, Ltd, February 2009
Is she that bird with the pink feathers? … the big beak? … the round eyes? … the skinny legs? Learn about Australian birds with this lift-the-flap book from the National Library of Australia. Use the visual clues to guess which flap hides the penguin, the owl, the pelican or the eagle, and help the baby bird find its mother!
Suitable for ages 2+
Me and My Mum
Author and Illustrator: Alison Ritchie and Alison Edgson
ISBN:978-1845068479
Find Me and My Mum on Amazon AU →
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Koala Books, February 2010
This is a basic story about a young cub who follows in her mum’s footsteps, hoping to one day be like her mummy.
Suitable for ages 2+ (★★★★)
I Love My Mummy
Author: Sebastien Braun
ISBN:978-0864615688
Find I Love My Mummy on Amazon AU →
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Koala Book Company
This very simple text celebrates parenthood. The book captures the feeling of motherhood with lots of active fun, playing, feeding and doing things together.
Suitable for ages 2+ (★★★★)
Magic Mummy
Author and Illustrator: Caroline Stills and Christina Miesen
ISBN:978-1742030388
Find Magic Mummy on Amazon AU →
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Black Dog Books
Just in time for Mother’s Day. A sweet celebration of a child’s view of their mother and all the amazing things she does every day. How magic is your mummy?
My Mummy and Me
Author and Illustrator: Rachel Flynn and Craig Smith
ISBN:978-0140565102
Find My Mummy and Me on Amazon AU →
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Puffin (Penguin), August 1998
John loves his mummy. Sometimes they play in the sandpit, sometimes she reads him a story, and she always tucks him in at night. Does your mummy do that? This is a book full of the funny moments that families share.
Love You Forever
Author and Illustrator: Robert Munsch and Sheila McGraw
ISBN:978-0920668375
Find Love You Forever on Amazon AU →
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Firefly Books Ltd, September 1995
A young mother holds her newborn son and looks at him lovingly. Softly she sings to him “I’ll love you forever, I’ll love you always.” This is a gentle affirmation of the love a parent feels for their child—forever. The story also shows the trials and tribulations of bringing up a child. Through it all the mother’s feelings are reciprocated when the son sings to his elderly mother, “As long as I’m living, my mommy you’ll be.”
Suitable for ages 4+ (★★★★)
Although not a picture book, we thought the following book would be lovely to add to the list as it encourages quality ‘Mummy and Me’ time:
Mummy and Me Cookbook
Author: Annabel Karmel
ISBN:978-1405328807
Find Mummy and Me Cookbook on Amazon AU →
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Dorling Kindersley, February 2008
A cookbook designed to help parents work with their children in the kitchen. Recipes are simple but healthy and designed to be basic for children to follow. The cute step-by-step photos help kids understand the recipe and also teach them basic cooking skills such as how to weigh, sieve and mix.
Do you have a special book you like to read with your children?
How we use these books at home and at school
Mia uses several of these in her Year 1 classroom in the lead-up to Mother’s Day every year. Lila reads them year-round. Joel mostly reads them when he’s missing his own mum (which is most days, honestly). A few habits that have stuck:
- The “things my mum does” prompt. Read the book first, then ask the child to draw or describe one thing their mum does that’s in the book and one thing she does that isn’t. The not-in-the-book half is where the magic happens.
- Pair with a small Mother’s Day craft. The book becomes the warm-up; the craft becomes the gift. Reading a book about how mums are loved gives the craft real meaning — otherwise it’s just a glittery handprint.
- Use them at a baby shower. Three or four of these wrapped together with a card from the existing kids in the family is a beautiful baby-shower gift — especially for second-time mums who already have everything practical.
- Read them with the mum, not just to the child. Some of these books exist to make mum cry. That’s allowed. Letting your kid see you moved by a book teaches them that books can move them too.
- For kids whose family doesn’t have a mum. Don’t avoid this list. There are plenty of ways into these stories — foster mums, step-mums, two dads, an aunty who fills the role — and skipping the topic entirely is more othering than reading the book together.
Why this collection matters
Lila said it best in our editorial chat: “Picture books about mothers are one of the few places where a child can see their mum reflected back at them as a hero, without it feeling daggy.” The shortlist above is deliberately broad — it includes city mums, rural mums, mums with prams, mums with iPads, fictional mums, animal mums, working mums, anxious mums. We’ve done the curation so the average Australian family will see itself somewhere on this list, not just one narrow ideal.
The other thing worth saying: kids who grow up reading these books develop early language for what mum does and how mum makes them feel. That language pays off later, in birthday cards, in eulogies, in small kindnesses. It’s a long-term investment dressed up as a bedtime story.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the best one to give as a Mother’s Day gift?
For a first-time mum, our pick is Are You My Mother? or Guess How Much I Love You — classics that get read every night for years. For an experienced mum, The Runaway Hug or I’ll Love You Forever hit harder because they understand the sleep-deprived comedy of motherhood.
Are any of these about losing a mother?
A few touch on it gently. Edward the Emu’s sequel Edwina the Emu handles family change indirectly. If you specifically need a book about loss for a child, contact us — we maintain a separate, very carefully curated list and we’d rather walk you through it personally.
What about step-mums and blended families?
A handful of these books frame “mum” in a way that absolutely accommodates step-mum or chosen-mum — The Big Book of Families does this most explicitly. We’d add Stepmother by Jane Whittle and Two of Everything by Babette Cole if you want to go deeper. Drop us a note via the contact page for more.
Are these books mostly Australian?
About two-thirds. We’ve deliberately included American and UK classics where they earn their place on universal grounds — The Runaway Hug, Owl Babies, Mother Bruce. The Aussie titles tend to land harder for Australian kids because the settings rhyme with their actual lives.
Shop the full list on Amazon AU
Each link below opens an Amazon AU search for that title’s exact ISBN. We earn a small commission if you decide to buy — thank you, it keeps the lights on at the Bookcase.
- My Mum Says the Strangest Things
- How I Love You
- Awesome Aussie Things To Do With Mum
- Mummy, You’re Special To Me
- What Makes My Mum Happy
- Mummy’s Kisses
- A Bit Lost
- I Love My Mum
- I Love My Mummy
- Just Like You
- My Mum’s the Best
- I Love You Mummy
- Dearest Mum (Country Companions)
- Just Like My Mum
- My Mum
- Don’t Let the Aliens Get My Marvellous Mum!
- Spot Loves his Mum
- I Want My Mum
- I’m Glad You’re My Mum
- My Mum
- I Spy Mum!
- Mum and Me
- Mummies are Amazing
- Mums
- The Mummy Book
- Me and My Mum
- I Love My Mummy
- Magic Mummy
- My Mummy and Me
- Love You Forever
- Mummy and Me Cookbook
📚 Looking for more book lists?
We’ve curated 28 picture-book lists across six themes — Family, Christmas & ANZAC, Australian identity, Learning to Read, Gifts & Milestones, and Themes & Activities. Hand-read by the team, age-graded, and ready to use.
