My Mommy, My Teacher
Book Review
by Kate Franklin
It has been said by a very wise man that “mothering is reformation”--a statement that would be met with deep skepticism by many in our generation. They know little of mothers, as they know little of all true beauties, and therefore cannot understand how the familiar career, home-juggler they know could be anything but an unfortunate necessity. She is certainly not the wonder-women their grandmothers remember with respect. Nor is she the inconsistent feminist their own mothers remember with affection. Instead, she is a changeable member of a world in which they cannot play a part. Home is a place to be when there is nothing else to do, and children are a burdensome responsibility draining valuable resources from today’s teetering economy.
Yet some courageous women have chosen, over the last two decades, to deny the legitimacy of this worldview and invest their lives in a biblical vision. My Mommy, My Teacher, a self-published book written and illustrated by Johannah Bluedorn ($14, Trivium Pursuit), is a tribute to one such woman--the author’s own mother--and all like her. It is the journal of a day in the life of a mother, with all its wonders and joyful toils, as seen through the eyes of her daughter. The Proverbs 31 employments of cooking, clothing, cleaning, training, teaching, encouraging and beautifying are all in evidence; the loving interactions between parents, children and siblings are commendable. Its greatest value is in its beautiful and encouraging portrayal of a homeschooling mothers’ life.
The art, like its subject of motherhood, is distinctly timeless. One sees 1850’s fashions alongside the reading of the Hobbit (which was not published until 1937) and log cabins displayed on the same canvas as Peter Rabbit. Watercolor is the medium of choice, and the style is simple, antiquated and colorful.
While this book is certainly no breathtaking thriller, there is something refreshingly beautiful in the truth of its assertions. With modernity’s almost constant attack upon the bastions of biblical motherhood, it is uplifting to see so pretty and charming a defender of her cause.
(Homeschooling Today magazine - January/February 2003)
If you have found value in this article, consider subscribing to Homeschooling Today Magazine. We are only able to offer resources like this through support from our subscribers. Your subscription will bring a year's worth of ready-made lessons, vital homeschooling information, and like-minded encouragement right to your doorstep!
Copyright ©1992-2008 Homeschooling Today® magazine - PO Box 244 - Abingdon, VA 24212 - All rights reserved Duplication of this article without written permission is prohibited.