Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Fri Sep 16 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Novelist Youngblood tells a story of a child with seven homes and seven Big Mamas.A Black child with two puffs goes to a different home every day. The child's mother works late and sometimes travels for weeks at a time. So the Big Mamas take care of the narrator, and the child has different experiences and dreams with each of them. With Nurse Louella, the protagonist cycles around the airport parking lot and later thinks of being a pilot. With Miss Zikora, the narrator sings in Spanish, French, and Igbo ("I think I want to sing in my own band"). Other Big Mamas braid the child's hair in a salon or teach them to fish. Finally, when Mama comes home, everyone celebrates together with more delicious food, and the child gets to sleep in their own little room in their own house, glad that Mama is home. This is a joyful, heartfelt celebration of family-born and chosen-and community, of Black womanhood and expressions of love. The variety of people and homes in the child's life is thoroughly engaging; the details of the women's lifestyles, from fashion and cars to foods and conversations, immerse readers in each setting. Harris' bright, warm illustrations use thick blocks of saturated colors to bring the Mamas, the child, and their relationships to life. (This book was reviewed digitally.)Unique and universally resonant, this fascinating tribute is one to share. (notes from the author and from Make Me a World creative director Christopher Myers, recipe for sweet pink punch) (Picture book. 4-9)

ALA Booklist (Wed Nov 30 00:00:00 CST 2022)

Mama's Home is an ode to community love and support. This upbeat picture book follows a young girl during a week when her hard-working mama is out of town. While asserting that she'd prefer having her mother around, the girl also feels lucky that she has "seven Big Mamas and seven houses, one for every day of the week." Each two-page spread moves readers through the week, revealing the different mamas who take care of the girl and the activities they engage in. By the time Sunday rolls around, all the mamas come together to share a meal and welcome Mama back home. Every illustration in this sweet story shows the girl surrounded by love and drawing inspiration from her neighbors, whether they are visiting a beauty shop, going to choir practice, cooking, or fishing. The digital artwork is bold and eclectic, and the characters (all of whom are Black) are rendered with delightful, individualized details. Notes from the book's creators and a recipe conclude this lovely manifestation of the notion that it takes a village.

Horn Book (Fri Jan 13 00:00:00 CST 2023)

A brown-skinned girl with her hair in two afro puffs hugs her mother goodbye before Mama boards a plane, which she does often. The young narrator feels lucky to have seven "Big Mamas" -- enough for a different one to take care of her every day of the week. On Monday, Nurse Louella looks after her, teaching her to ride a bike without training wheels. As the week progresses, each Black mama has a special passion that inspires the girl to pursue a particular profession or live a certain way: she wants to be a pilot, a singer, a chef, a writer, an entrepreneur, and someone who has a heart "big enough to love everybody who needs love." On Sunday, everyone gathers together and brings a dish to a feast composed of delicacies from across the African diaspora. Harris's colorful digital illustrations showcase the curvaceous mamas, who all sport their own hair and clothing styles. Youngblood's cheerful semiautobiographical picture book (an author's note explains the connections to her life) checks deficit-based thinking at the door and celebrates a female village that raises a confident and creative Black girl. A rich chosen-family story of love, care, and community. Michelle H. Martin

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Novelist Youngblood tells a story of a child with seven homes and seven Big Mamas.A Black child with two puffs goes to a different home every day. The child's mother works late and sometimes travels for weeks at a time. So the Big Mamas take care of the narrator, and the child has different experiences and dreams with each of them. With Nurse Louella, the protagonist cycles around the airport parking lot and later thinks of being a pilot. With Miss Zikora, the narrator sings in Spanish, French, and Igbo ("I think I want to sing in my own band"). Other Big Mamas braid the child's hair in a salon or teach them to fish. Finally, when Mama comes home, everyone celebrates together with more delicious food, and the child gets to sleep in their own little room in their own house, glad that Mama is home. This is a joyful, heartfelt celebration of family-born and chosen-and community, of Black womanhood and expressions of love. The variety of people and homes in the child's life is thoroughly engaging; the details of the women's lifestyles, from fashion and cars to foods and conversations, immerse readers in each setting. Harris' bright, warm illustrations use thick blocks of saturated colors to bring the Mamas, the child, and their relationships to life. (This book was reviewed digitally.)Unique and universally resonant, this fascinating tribute is one to share. (notes from the author and from Make Me a World creative director Christopher Myers, recipe for sweet pink punch) (Picture book. 4-9)

School Library Journal (Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

PreS-Gr 3 —This lively picture book will have readers considering all the people that influence their lives, every day. The main character, a Black girl, spends every day of the week with a different loving member of her extended chosen family, each of them showing her the diversity of cultures within the Black community as well as different job opportunities. Well-crafted spreads showcase a different food and a different job that the family members are sharing with one another and the community. The main character appreciates all of them, but is happy to be home with her own mama, tucked in her own bed, at the end of the week. In every home she was loved and welcomed; in every setting she was cherished and yet relishes her own place with Mama best. The stylized art, featuring a variety of skin tones, hair styles, body types, family households, and definitions of "home," is warm and cheerful, adding to the joy of the story. VERDICT This would be a wonderful addition to an elementary library seeking books to show the diversity of African American culture as well as all the ways there are to be family.—Debbie Tanner