Mama's Love Language - by Elisa Stad (Paperback)

About the Book

The Flavor of Belonging in Culturally Diverse Families

Book Synopsis

Jade is a girl who lives in two worlds and, coming from a multicultural family, she's on a quest to understand her identity and where she truly belongs.

She is trying to find her place in the world but feels different from the other kids at school. Back home, Jade's parents have their unique approach to love and care. Sometimes Jade is embarrassed by Mama's accent and she can't understand why she is not just like any other mother she knows.

The real adventure unfolds when Jade starts rebelling against her mother's traditional ways of showing love, especially through food. It's a struggle that takes her on a path of discovery, as she learns about her family's rich heritage and her mother's challenging past in Vietnam and as an immigrant.

Jade then discovers that even though Mama doesn't hug or say I love you, the healing aroma of ginger, green onions, and chicken broth does.

"Mama's Love Language" is a heartwarming children's book that addresses the universal theme of belonging and the beauty of cultural diversity. Through Jade's story, children will learn that being different is not only okay but something to be celebrated, and that love can come in many shapes and forms.

This book is ideal for children the ages of 4-9

Review Quotes

A frank and fulfilling journey of self-acceptance. A young biracial American girl struggles with her Chinese heritage in Stad's debut picture book.

"My name is Jade. I live in two worlds. My mama is Chinese and my dad is American. Who am I?" Jade, who presents as Chinese, feels out of place in a society depicted as middle class and overwhelmingly white. She doesn't want to be different and is embarrassed by her mother's accent and non-Western behavior (especially her focus on homework and her lack of tactile affection). One night Jade disavows her Chinese heritage, but then she learns of her mama's family history and reconsiders. Stad narrates in the first person and effectively captures Jade's insecurities and uneasy search for self-identity. Menson (My Heart Will Stay [2020], etc.) complements the story with a deft, uncluttered drawing style. Some clever imagistic juxtapositions suggest emptiness and uncertainty (when Jade worries about fitting in or not being American enough, for instance) amid swirling shades of red, yellow, and aqua. All of this evokes a rich family history and exudes strength and unity whenever her mom or Chinese culture enter the picture. One of the book's notable features is that Jade isn't singled out by those around her. Her sense of not belonging comes from within and is tied to her not knowing her mother's personal history. Once Jade understands that her mama's love is no less real or strong for being expressed differently, she can finally embrace her own cultural origins.

A frank and fulfilling journey of self-acceptance.

- Kirkus Reviews