A mother’s panza is special, unique, and powerful. It creates life and protects it. It’s a child’s first home and safe space. It’s playful, fun, and, of course, filled with love.
Mama’s Panza (also available in Spanish) celebrates all these aspects and more. It beautifully encapsulates the strong love and bond between a child and their mother. The book showcases the young narrator having fun with his mother, like playing the drum on her panza and tumbling onto her during their lucha libre games. It also shows her protecting him from strangers at the store and scary monsters from his stories. Mama’s Panza becomes a third character of the story; an extension of the mother’s love and protection.
The young and playful narrator introduces the topic of body positivity in an accessible way. This book teaches children the importance of loving their bodies, which should be appreciated and celebrated for all the wonderful things they can do. It can run up hills, swim in the oceans, and keep us alive. It urges the reader to think: How could I not love my body? Additionally, the portrayal of a strong mother will resonate with new Latine mothers as they learn to accept their changing bodies and reject Euro-centric beauty norms. She offers affirming and inspiring words that teach readers an important lesson of body acceptance, such as her declaration, “This panza is a part of me. I cannot love all of me without loving it too.”
Filled with lively and colorful illustrations that leap off every page, the book is as visually beautiful as it is well-written. The incorporation of Latine cultural aspects–such as the house decorations, the grocery store, and the bedtime stories– into the design makes this a refreshing addition to children’s literature.
Mama’s Panza is an endearing book that celebrates a child’s love for their mother and her panza, making it a perfect gift for expecting and new mothers who want to teach their children about body love.
Ilse Alva is a proud first-generation Mexican-American from South San Diego. She holds a BA in English from UCLA and an MS in Publishing from NYU. Ilse was a 2023 We Need Diverse Books Internship grantee, placed at Hachette Book Group for the summer. Previously, she worked with the Independent Book Publishers Association and at the UCLA Bookstore, where she learned she loved talking about books. She enjoys reading thrillers, sipping iced coffees, and hiking with her dog and cat.
