A young boy describes the various things that set his mother apart in this amusing picture-book from British author/illustrator Babette Cole. From the hats she wears-witch's hats!—to her questionable method of dealing with the other attendees at PTA night—turning them into frogs—she has her own style, and her own way of doing things. When the boy's classmates come to his castle-like house to play, the enjoy themselves immensely, but their parents don't approve, and soon arrive to take them home. It is only when the school catches fire, and the boy's mother is first on the scene to save the day, that she is finally accepted by the other parents...

I have a high regard for Babette Cole's storytelling, and for her droll artwork, which never fails to amuse me. Despite this, and the fact that I have greatly appreciated those books from Cole that I have read, I don't seem to have made much of an effort to seek out more of her work. I'm not sure why that is, but after finding The Trouble With Mom completely delightful, I will have to remedy the oversight. The first of five picture-books exploring the "trouble" with various relatives (the original British title, naturally enough, was "The Trouble With Mum"), this book explores how the narrator's witchy mother stands out from the crowd. The word "witch" is never once used in the text, but it is clear from the artwork that that is what she is, and the disconnect between the matter-of-fact narrative and wildly expressive artwork is simply delicious. I loved Babette Cole's quirky, expressive characters, whether human or animal, and there were plenty of them here. I also appreciated the theme of accepting differences, both within our own families, and in the wider community, and found the eventual rapprochement between the witchy mother and the other parents charming. Recommended to fans of the author/artist, as well as to those who (like me) enjoy witchy picture-books. I read a copy of this online, but I think I may need to invest in a copy for my personal library! ( )

I think kids might, in general, like this more than adults. But the lesson about getting to know people before judging them is relevant to everyone. ( )