I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I just couldn't like this one. Mila was cute enough and the story is relatable to many children, There were a couple problems I couldn't get past. The teacher shaming Mila in front of the class. I hope that's not something that would happen in the real world. The other kids dressing as Mila's mommy to make her feel better was just weird to me. I see what the author was trying to do but no. There are so many stories about children starting school and missing their parent, that at this point I just want a new take on it to make it a good book.

There are, sadly, a number of things I didn't enjoy about this well illustrated story:
1) I cannot imagine ever being okay with my teacher telling the class I miss my mommy. How embarrassing!?!? That is the sort of thing that could plague a child for years to come if they remain in the same school. We as adults need to remember that children are cruel to one another; not because they intend to be necessarily, but because they are not developed enough to be objective about situations.
2) Maybe I've seen too many horror movies but one of the kids dressing up as Mila's mom just had me thinking Norman Bates. It's a bit weird. I don't really understand why the story didn't go this way:
- Mila expresses she misses Mommy
- Teacher lets her know that is common and okay to feel
- Teacher encourages her to engage with her friends and find something fun to do with them
- Mila is sufficiently distracted and realizes she can have fun and play even without Mommy.
No need for the play acting, disclosure of Mila's emotion to other children, or any awkwardness to ensue.
3) Overall the emotion here felt flat. I would have liked more internalization of Mila's feelings I think. Maybe less of her telling others she feels badly; instead the situation reflecting reality a little closer where the child doesn't tell everyone what is going on but finds a way through the situation that would help children in the future if they find themselves homesick(?).

Overall I just didn't feel it on this one. I would have preferred a different approach and better tips to handling the homesickness than getting others to play a part.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Mila Misses Mommy is a cute story about missing a parent. Mila's mommy drops her off at school and needs to leave right away. Mila's parents are separated, so she won't be seeing her mom after school and she is very sad. This causes her to get a tummy ache. A situation that many children experience, especially when starting school. I loved how the teacher responded to Mia's feelings. She tried to get her to realize that this was a normal feeling, that others also feel the same way sometimes and it is okay. She then got Mia's friends and classmates to help her feel better by playing with her and getting her mind on something else. The illustrations were cute and fit the story well, showing Mia's expressions well. This would be a great story for parents and teachers to share with preschool students on that first day of school or before they start to get them ready for those anxious and sad feelings. I read this to my grandson and he immediately identified with Mila. He has a lot of anxiety and doesn't even like to sleep at my house anymore because he misses his parents. We talked a lot about that and what he does when he feels those things. I definitely recommend this one to families with children who are anxious about new things and changes in their lives.

A group of school kids help Mila miss her mommy a little less as the school day wears on. The story works, it’s approachable, and a feeling most readers will understand.

Mila misses her mommy, and her friends want to help her feel better. Her friends create the cutest games that are perfect for Mila. This is a great book for both entertainment and helping kids with separation anxiety.

I unfortunately had difficulty reading this eARC as the download was broken up and pages were not in order. I did like what I was able to read and enjoyed the illustrations.

This is a simple but powerful story about Mila whose parents are divorced. She has to spend her time divided between them and she really misses her mom sometimes. She develops a tummy ache at school and realizes she won't be seeing her mother later and that makes her sad. Her teacher and friends take care of her and attempt to make her happy.

Such a beautiful story for children with separated parents and also for those who are starting school.

The illustrations are beautiful, and children as young as 3 can understand the story can easily.

Thanks to Netgalley, Clavis Publishing, and Judith Koppens for this ARC.

Yes please!
This book was simple but beautiful! Perfect for a child going to a new school, moving from one class to the next, a parent transitioning shifts or another work change. I am purchasing this book for my littlest the minute it comes out to read over and over before she heads to 2 year old preschool in September!

This book has adorable illustrations, but seems to fall flat with its message. The teacher does not really address Mila's concerns, but rather distracts her. That is often what happens in a classroom, but was that the purpose of the book? If so, does this book need to be?

Divorce can be a traumatic time for young children and Mila is feeling all different emotions knowing that she will not see mom for a week. Her teacher and classmates help Mila with those emotions so she can feel better. Emotions that are troublesome can lead to despair, not eating well, and doing poorly at school. Emotions can be very serious and this book is helpful to adults and children alike to combat those emotions to something that is productive.

The book is short, well illustrated and very helpful.

A special thank you to Clavis Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

Sweet little story about dealing with anxiety and separation fears, especially surrounding going to school.

I can see how this story would help children on either sides of the situation - both as the anxiety sufferer, and as one whose friend is suffering from anxiety and wants to help. However, while the story was cute, I do think that the children's voices and actions seemed a little older than their appearances. Also I feel like some children might have not be comfortable with the thought of a teacher sharing their fears with their friends/class without permission. I think the story is good as it is, but perhaps the author could have resolved Mila's problem in a slightly better way.

This is a good read-aloud book with a lot of room for discussion afterwards, and the illustrations are simple, bright and colorful to engage little ones. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Clavis Publishing for the opportunity to read "Mila Misses Mommy" in return for my honest opinions.

This was a really sweet story that will help children that have separated parents.

In the book Mila splits the time that she has between her mommy and daddy and she does find it hard. The book deals with her emotions in a sensitive way and I can imagine this being a great read to try and explain this to younger children that find themselves in the same position.

It also is great way to speak to children about what will happen when they are first sent to school and will not be with their parents, sometimes for the first time but that it will all be ok and they will see their mummy and daddy at the end of the day. My daughter starts school in September just after her fourth birthday so this one that we will be reading again nearer that time.

It is 4 stars from me for this one – highly recommended!

I received an eARC copy in exchange for an honest review from Clavis Publishing via NetGalley.

Mila Misses Mommy is a cute story about something that every child experiences - missing their mommy when the kindergarten or school stars. Kids always feel sad when mommy or daddy isn't around, making their tummies hurt. This book is very relatable and very sweet.

I liked the teacher's smart move, saying that she understands Mila, that she is not alone, that other kids felt the same way sometimes, and that she engaged other children into helping Mila feel better. The kids played with Mila, easing the pain and making Mila miss her mommy less.

The story deals with anxiety, a feeling many people, young or adult, feel. In a creative way, this book shows one of the many ways to help and support people when the anxiety hits.

A cute book that touch’s on some big emotions. The book contained diversity and show cased learning play. Which I feel helps children connect to the book.

A relatable easy story about a girl missing her mom while starting the school. It teaches little children how important is to share and express your feelings as it is always better. Thus, a solution can be easily found and shared, either by the teachers or the other children. An useful read recommended for children struggling with the separation from their parents at kindergarten or school.

I am struggling with the fact that there is a whole series of Mila, who appears to be a Black girl, written by a white woman. Yes, we need more representation in books, but we need more authors of color being published and writing own voices works. I was also uncomfortable that Mila's teacher told other students how Mila was feeling on her behalf. As a very sensitive child that would have made me uncomfortable. The font may be difficult for younger students to read. The illustrations would be appealing to children.

Mila's parents are divorced, and she misses her mom at school, knowing her daddy is going to pick her up. Her classmates make her feel better. The illustrations are nice in this book as well as how the story was laid out on my kindle. I think this book is a great way to teach empathy to children.

Mila’s parents don’t live together and she is missing her mommy after her mommy drops her off at preschool for the day. She doesn’t want to play or eat and is feeling sad because she misses her mommy so much. Luckily, Mila has an understanding teacher and great friends to help her feel better.

This is a sweet book with very good representation, showing that some kids have parents who don’t live together. The language and structure is great for small children and the illustrations are clear and fun to look at it. This is a relatable story written in a very accessible way for little kids going to school or away from mom or dad and having a difficult time.

Mila Misses Mommy by Judith Koppens tells to story of a young girl named Mila who goes to school, but is having a sad day because she is missing her mother. Mila says that some days she lives with her mommy and some days she lives with her daddy, so Mila is not just dealing with missing her mommy at school. Mila tells her teacher that her tummy hurts and the teacher tells Mila that it is okay to miss her mommy and that everyone misses their mommy every now and then. I like that the teacher did not discount Mila's feelings and told her that she is not alone. Mila's friends also tell Mila that they also have those feelings. The children then begin to play together and Mila does start to feel better. The illustrations by Anouk Nijs are realistic and I liked that the characters were diverse. I think this would be a great story for parents and teachers to share with preschool. kindergarten age students to help ease their anxieties about being at school. It would be perfect to read aloud at the beginning of the school year.

Mila misses her mother, which makes her feel ill in class, but her understanding classmates and teacher help her with kindness and gentle distractions. This sweet toddler-appropriate picture book that accurately captures how many pre-K and kindergarten children feel and express sadness. The illustrations are simply, but nonetheless charming. This text would be a very handy jumping off point for discussing feelings with a young person.