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In honor of Mother’s Day, we picked our favorite books that awesome moms everywhere!

Carla Jolis, Director of Cooking at Gymtime, Early Learning Foundations and York Avenue Preschool
“Just Me and My Mom” by Mercer Mayer
A delightful tale, “Just Me and My Mom” is about a child that spends a special day with his mother. Our Upper East Side preschoolers can easily relate to it because the story is about a visit to New York City. Little Critter is a cute, lovable character who usually means well but always seems to wind up in trouble. He and his mom have a full itinerary, but they cannot help but invite difficulties. Thank goodness for a happy ending!

Karyn Smith, Teacher at Early Learning Foundations Preschool
“What Mommies Do Best” by Laura Numeroff
“What Mommies Do Best” is a celebration of the special things mommies do for us! Mommies can do a lot of things like read a bedtime story every night, teach you how to ride a bike and take care of you when you are sick. But what do they do best? The answer is made perfectly clear in this amazing celebration of mothers and the everyday things they do!

Hilarie Moore, Yoga and Movement Instructor for Gymtime and York Avenue Preschool
“Guess How Much I Love You” by Sam McBratney
“Guess How Much I Love You” is my favorite book to read to kids on Mother’s Day. I have the stuffed bunny that goes with the story, and the kids always love to pass it around and snuggle it while I read. It is super cute!

Elena Holder, Teacher at Early Learning Foundations Preschool
“Is Your Mama a Llama?” by Deborah Guarino and “Baby Brains” by Simon James
For the little ones (babies and toddlers), two books that I love are “Is Your Mama a Llama?”, in which the baby animals help Lloyd, the llama, figure out what kind of animal he is, and “I Love You, Good Night,” which is the sweetest little book that I must have read every night for two years. For the preschool crowd, “Baby Brains” is adorable. Kids find this book hysterical, and parents can see some of themselves in Mr. and Mrs. Brains. Finally, my daughter loves “Brave Irene” by William Steig. Children will root for Irene and enjoy the special mother/daughter bond.

Brielle Brown, Teacher at Early Learning Foundations Preschool
“Goodnight Moon” by Margaret Wise Brown and “Are You My Mother” by P.D. Eastman
Mother’s Day is a great time to revisit those beloved story books we all enjoyed as children. Two of my favorites that I remember reading with my mother have now become favorites in my classroom! For a bedtime Mother’s Day story, “Goodnight Moon” is my first pick, but I also love “Are You My Mother” as another classic maternal tale. I wish all of our Gymtime families a very happy Mother’s Day!

Alice Herrera, Teacher at Early Learning Foundations Preschool
“Someday” by Alison McGhee and Peter Reynolds
My new favorite book that I will give to my daughters is “Someday” by Alison McGhee and Peter Reynolds. This book will bring tears to your eyes! Whether we like it or not, our children do grow up, leave home and, eventually, begin their own families.