Mars Needs Moms

Author: Berkeley Breathed

Much different from its 2011 film counterpart, Mars Needs Moms is a simple, heart-warming story with vivid, cartoonish illustrations that young readers will pour over as the pages are turned. Milo doesn't think that his mom is all that great. In fact, he thinks that all moms are totalitarian dictators bent on making their children eat terrible foods like broccoli and do loathsome chores like taking out the garbage. Unfortunately for Milo, he's about to find out the hard way just how important his mom is when Martians kidnap his mother. He journeys to Mars to find out that Martians don't have mothers. Instead, they grow up from the ground like vegetables. They kidnap moms from Earth, using enticing things like coffee, to do things for them like bandage wounds and drive them to soccer practice. On Mars, Milo learns just how special his own mother is to him. Mars Needs Moms was a 2008 Golden Duck winner, and it's a fantastic way to introduce kids to aliens who are just like them. Kids will relate to Milo and love his story, and parents will love the message. It's a great read-aloud for ages five and up, younger readers may worry about the prospect of aliens coming and taking away their moms.