Mother’s Day: PART I of Making a Book an Extraordinary Gift on Any Budget

This is a two part blog wherein I will discuss specific books that would make nice Mother’s Day gifts and ideas on how to make any book or publication into a really thoughtful and personalized present. Part II will be posted tomorrow so please check back!





Part I
Wonderful Mother’s Day Book Ideas

Dear Mom Thank You For Everything ($10) is is a great little book for the family that thrives on humor! This Mother’s Day gift is simple and sweet with equal parts humor and heart. There are fantastic animal photos so this is also a great gift for the mom who loves animals and a good dose of cute overload.

Yiddishe Mamas: The Truth About the Jewish Mother ($10) is a book that analyzes the stereotype of a Jewish mother and takes a serious look at both famous and unknown Jewish mother’s in history, ranging from biblical times to present day. This book begs to be given to any Jewish mother for Mother’s Day but it’s poignancy also makes it a wonderful gift for a Jewish daughter without her mother this Mother’s Day. It is said to evoke memories of childhood that remind one of specific times with their own mother. Don’t forget, although the subject matter is Jewish mothers, this is a celebration of motherhood and any mother interested in history, stories of humor, interviews and heartwarming tales may indeed enjoy the book because love and motherhood are universal, no matter the religion.

Another book about the history of Jewish mothers, You Never Call! You Never Write!: A History of the Jewish Mother is by a different author, Joyce Antler, but in a similar vein as the book by Marnie Winston-Macauley. You Never Call! You Never Write! is both humorous and historical. Joyce Antler provides portrayals of real Jewish mothers as well as looking at how Jewish mothers were often portrayed in books, television and movies.

This book ($19) is a really great book for adult children (even grandchildren) to give as a gift to their mother which will spark a conversation with them that takes you on a journey into your mother’s past to find out about who she is, her history, her family, what made her the way she it…questions we sometimes don’t ask until it is too late. P.J. Cloud actually wrote Someday, I’ll Ask You and presented it to her own mother! This is the type of gift that will become a family heirloom and is a gift to your mother to show how much you care and are interested in her but, by the time she is done reflecting and answering the questions, will turn into a gift for the both of you, and perhaps even the whole family.

By the same author as Dear Mom Thank You For Everything, Bradley Trevor Greive offers wit and warmth all rolled into one. Sweet and funny animal photos make this little book a nice addition to any Mother’s Day gift. This is also great choice for the family who isn’t huge on gift giving but still wants to recognize how important mom is without making a big fuss. The Incredible Truth about Mothers ($10) is another winner by Greive.

This book is great for a mother on her special day or the person who is a non-traditional mother – whether it is someone who is part of your family of choice instead of a biological connection or even the mother of the furry variety! Heart of a Mother ($12) is a nice choice to recognize the woman in your life who is a mother in her own right, yet doesn’t get to celebrate as traditionally as the rest of them as well as just a great gift for any mother who loves to read. This is a collection of stories, quotations and poems with chapters on Mother’s Day, Pregnancy, Adoptions and Foster Children, Mothers of Military and more…

These books offer a good start and you can search for more Mother’s Day books here.


Happy gifting and, please, come back for Part II of this series!