Cold Comfort! Llama Llama Home with Mama by Anna Dewdney

LLAMA LLAMA MORNING LIGHT.
FEELING YUCKY. JUST NOT RIGHT.

Little Llama in his red pajamas wakes up with that BLEAH! feeling. He droops over the breakfast table, and Mama makes a quick Dr. Mom diagnosis: his head is hot, his throat is sore; his nose is snuffly; she doesn't need to know more. It's not off to school, but back to bed for him.

Yucky fake-fruit-flavored medicine makes his head feel fuzzy, and nothing--not his trains and tractors, not his cars and crayons--is any fun. Mama tries to help by reading some of his favorite story books, but things are still just not right!

SOGGY TISSUES. GLOBS OF GUCK!
SNIFFLES, SNORTING, SNEEZES. YUCK!

Finally Llama Llama gives in to the sneezles and falls asleep--and when he wakes up, he's feeling better. Down to the kitchen he goes, hungry for his lunch, and he settles down to enjoy his sandwich, just in time to hear Mama Llama's first AH-CHOOO!

UH, OH! Mama Llama's got it, too! She hacks, she sneezes, and her head hurts when Llama Llama makes the least noise!

MAMA COUGHS AND LLAMA YAWNS.
HOW LONG CAN THIS DAY GO ON?

Wait! Llama Llama knows what to do to make Mama Llama feel better! He leads her to her comfy chair, plumps up a pillow for her head, and fetches some of his best, best books for her. They cuddle up together, Mama, Llama, and of course his little ever-present llama doll. At least Llama and Mama don't have to be sick alone!

Anna Dewdeney's latest in this beloved series, Llama Llama Home with Mama (Viking, 2011), takes her little llama through another of those preschool milestones, that l-o-o-n-g day when everyone is sick with the same bug. If misery loves company, it's wonderful company here, as Dewdney's final page shows both Mama Llama and Llama Llama nodding drowsily over their book together, while his googly-eyed llama doll---unscathed and wide awake--is left to enjoy the book alone.

Fans of Dewdneys's earlier books (and who isn't?), the best-selling Llama Llama Red Pajama, and sequels Llama Llama Mad at Mama, Llama Llama Misses Mama, and Llama Llama Holiday Drama, all insightful and tender glimpses into those touchy moments of early childhood, should have this one handy, especially when the inevitable autumn sneezes come around.

See Dewdney's creative process in progress as she goes from pencilled line drawings to finished watercolored masters in the book's trailer here.