Piret Jaaks: Mamin zmaj

Piret Jaaks and Marju Tammik’s picture book, “Mommy’s Dragon,” might delight young bookworms, and it can also provide comfort to their overwhelmed parents. Jaaks’s narrative is warmly written, showing empathy towards both children and adults. It concludes by reflecting on the dragons and strong emotions that reside within all of us—children and adults. Books that address emotional awareness often use imaginary beings to represent children’s emotions. However, Jaak’s book takes a different approach by portraying our emotions, making us parents more relatable. It helps us navigate these feelings alongside our children, setting a positive, human example. The book’s artful, vivid, and fresh illustrations provide an added reason to wholeheartedly embrace this book.

Recommended age: 5-8 years. The book has been honored with the Zlata hruška (Golden Pear) seal, a prestigious literary award for children’s and young adult books in Slovenia.