Mars Needs Moms! by Berkeley Breathed Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Mars Needs Moms!
Book Review: Pure Genius
Summary: 5 Stars
Berkeley Breathed is an unqualified genius when it comes to tapping into the absurdities of every day life. Rarely do you find a graphic artist whose drawings so perfectly match the narrative of his stories. One really cannot imagine the one without the other. In "Mars Needs Mom's," he has outdone himself.
The plasticity of Breathed's airbrush drawing style has been commented upon at great length elsewhere, but it bears repeating here that nobody "works" the human figure and facial expression to greater effect. There is muscle and sinew beneath his characters' skins; they are soft and supple and perfectly provide the illusion of movement. Make no mistake, it is NOT easy! It is something to which all artists aspire. There is nothing static in his drawings, and there is such a wealth of pertinent detail and a richness and depth of color that the eye never tires of looking at them. I note in particular the spillage of beet juice onto the boy's face as he takes out the garbage. It takes a certain kind of imagination to conceive of such evocative elements.
The story itself is remarkable, as a young boy goes from the resentment of just about everything his mother stands for to a true understanding of all his mother does for him, willing even to sacrifice her own life to save his. The facilitators for this revelation are Martians. Yes, Martians, who come to earth in the clumsiest space-ship imaginable to capture a mother for their population which is created without mothers. They've seen mothers from afar, and all they do for their children and they really, really WANT one. They long for someone to tuck them into bed and read them stories and bandage their boo-boos. So, they arrive on Earth with their cages and their nets to capture one, and not just any Mom, but HIS Mom!
Oh no! That just won't DO! He may hate her at times, but she's HIS Mom and nobody else's and nobody is going to take her away without a fight! He stows away on their ship.
What happens on Mars shows the boy how powerful is a Mother's love.
Needless to say, Breathed's Martians are a hoot! They come in many shapes, sizes and colors and have appendages that look like they were stolen from every creature in Earth's menagerie and some that never appeared in nature, ours or that of Mars.
Without a doubt, as demonstrated first in "Boom County," then "Opus," and with books like "Mars Needs Moms" Breathed has no equal as a cartoonist.
Whether for Mothers Day, Birthdays, or any other day, this is a wonderful gift for all Moms and their children who sometimes just don't "get" them.
Book Review: Super Book!
Summary: 5 Stars
I was with my 3 y/o son in Barnes & Noble and picked up this book because I love Bloom County & Opus. I thought it was a fun, lively book until I got to the part where Milo breaks his space helmet and his mother unflinchingly gives him hers. I welled up with tears and managed to get through the rest of the book.
I purchased it for Mother's Day. My wife loved it although she started crying at the same point I did. I told her I loved her for all the sacrifices she makes on a daily basis.
This book will be an instant classic in your household. The artwork is great, there are plenty of funny "Easter Eggs" throughout, and the storytelling is great. You will not be disappointed!
Book Review: Surprisingly moving
Summary: 5 Stars
We loved Berkeley Breathed's Goodnight Opus, so when we saw this one on the shelf at the library we snatched it right up. We (DH and I) read it to our two boys (2.5 and 4.5) that evening. I cried - surprising everyone, including myself - and after we put the book aside I had to go back to the page where Milo's mother is silhouetted against the rising Martian sun. I sat there for several minutes with the book on my lap while the rest of the family exchanged slightly worried looks. I never expected to be so powerfully moved by a picture book. I heard Breathed's interview today on the Diane Rehm show and cried again as he summarized the plot. Will definitely be a permanent addition to our collection.Book Review: Sweet and funny
Summary: 5 Stars
This is from "Bloom County" creator Berkeley Breathed. The illustrations are full-color and very well done. It's a great story about how annoying parents are, and how special parents are, too. The love of a mom and her child is really touching, and the story itself is hilarious.
Extraordinary illustrations. And sister-tinting! And the illustration of Milo asleep in bed looks exactly like how my kids sleep.
Book Review: This book is a pick me up for Moms!
Summary: 5 Stars
The son saw his mom as a beastlike hag until the Martians kidnapped her. He went to rescue her and she put her air helmet on him to save him. I liked how the artist showed his mom changing to a lovely person as he saw her love and value. This book is a pick me up for moms!