Hello, friends! Our book today is Why a Daughter Needs a Mom, written by Gregory E. Lang and illustrated by Sydney Hanson, an ode to the special relationship between mothers and daughters.

Adapted from Lang’s adult-oriented gift book of the same name, this version combines Hanson’s adorable animal illustrations with sugary-sweet rhyming text that explores all the things moms give their daughters. From a shoulder to cry on to a warm hug, a sense of humor to a sense of style, these word of encouragement and advice show that moms love nothing more than to help their daughters be the best and happiest versions on themselves.

Cute yet bland. Contrary to the title, the text is less examples of why a daughter needs a mom and more a list of life advice for young ones. Yet while the lessons themselves are well-written and occasionally quite touching, nothing other than pronoun choices make them specific to the relationship between mothers and daughters; indeed, values like perseverance, empathy, and patience should be taught by any-gender parents to any-gender children. For this reason, the book feels less like it’s aimed at young bookworms and more like it was written for moms (still, there’s also something slightly off about a book being narrated from the first-person perspective of a mother to her child being written by a man). Hanson’s heartwarming illustrations are the standout, and her adorable parent-child creatures were definitely the main draw for us. Otherwise, the length was fine, and JJ liked the art a lot. Overall, a little disappointing but not bad, and we can still call it Baby Bookworm approved.