I expected something quite different, or should I say, I had no idea what to expect, but it wasn't a picture book you read in under 2 minutes.

It was fine - nothing more, nothing less.

Not only is each death delightfully different, the subject of this picture book is also delightfully different! When Mom is an opera singer, death is an important part of the performance, and she always likes to make each performance unique. Great change of pace for storytimes about "Moms", “Careers”, or “Music”.

A cute story about a child whose mother is an opera singer, who becomes many different characters onstage, sometimes nice characters, sometimes scary, and sometimes these characters die. The child knows it isn't real when that happens, but mom's a good actress, and it's easy to get caught up in the moment, as illustrated by a performance within the story. The important part is that while mom may be different people when she's on stage, at home she's always mom, and she always loves her family. The illustrations are very evocative of a child's emotions, and have a somewhat messy, kiddish feel to them. Together, the story and art tell a funny, chuckle-inducing tale that's a lot of fun!

#MyMothersDelightfulDeaths #NetGalley

I loved this! Introducing kids to opera and to the idea that mom can have productive, important, fulfilling, exciting careers is great.

I did find this book interesting. Coming from a background in mental health I thought the story was leading up to the mother having a mental illness with more than one personality, or bi-polar but that was not the case.
I personally found the book a little bit scary for a children’s picture book. I found it slightly unsettling that the children were drawn so very tiny while the adult was so big. I suppose that could be interpreted as the mother being larger than life, but as a kid I felt small and insignificant at times. It was a very interesting story and got me thinking about what it is like for children of celebrities.

What a book! Everything about this one was magical and incredible. "My mother's delightful deaths" is a funny and fantastic book depicting the life of a child having an opera singer for a mother and seeing her "die" on stage multiple times. It was incredibly sweet and the art was beautiful full of colors. I'm no longer a kid, but I'm sure I would have loved reading this one!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The title of this book more than intrigued me. I quite simply had to know what it would be about. It turns out that the child's mother is an opera singer and as part of her performances she 'dies' on stage every night.

Initially I thought this might be a little morbid for a children's book but the more I think about it the more I can see that there is beauty in the story.

The illustrations are so interesting and I like the fact that the adults are so much taller than the children.

I'm not sure exactly how I feel about this as a children's book however.

I thought this book was fantastic! I love that the mom dies so many deaths on stage and the children cry when it happens but are okay with it because they know it isn't real.

This book is an interesting look at what it must be like to be an actor or opera singer's child. You would never really know, if what you were watching was real or fake but at the end of the night your parent is okay and so are you.

I received an eARC copy from NorthSouth Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My Mother's Delightful Deaths is an ode to a mom, a special and unique mom (and all moms are special and one of a kind), whose job is quite unusual - this mom is an opera singer; the daughter's POV is absolutely adorable, and it made me laugh at times. We get to be a part of this mom's singing around the house while rehearsing for one of her many roles. The mom's premiere with her "delightful death" is a spectacle in itself, and we see the daughter fully immersed in the action on the scene.

We also see the daughter's curiosity while watching the mom getting dresses in many gloriously fabulous costumes. No wonder she decided to play dress-up; the mom is the idol, and she wants to be just like the mom.

The contrast in daughter's and mother's sizes is an analysis on its own. I feel that it is here to praise and glorify the grandeur of this mom in her daughter's eyes, to let us know just how much she admires, loves, and appreciates her mom. I find this very relatable; the mother-daughter relationship is so beautiful, deep, and full of admiration, love, and respect, which all of us have for our mothers.

This picture book was pure joy for my inner child; I loved every page of it.

I appreciate having had an opportunity to read and review this book. The appeal of this particular book was not evident to me, and if I cannot file a generally positive review I prefer simply to advise the publisher to that effect and file no review at all.

Absolutely loved this book: intriguing cover, funny story and beautiful illustrations. Perhaps, the font needs a bit of tweaking.

Thanks to NetGalley and North South Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

My Mother's Delightful Deaths is exactly the kind of picture book my own mother would have read to my sister and me, which is one of the many reasons I loved it. My Mother's Delightful Deaths tells the story of a young child whose mother is an opera singer with a specialty in dramatic death scenes. The story is unique and delightful, and the artwork is a personal favorite of mine. I love the mother's costumes and faces of makeup, it really highlights how much she can change as she goes from character to character. The relationship between mother and child is complex and beautiful, and this book does a great job of portraying it.

I'd recommend this book to kids who love art, theatre, singing, dress-up, or stories about family.

An enjoyable book that was funny, light-hearted and beautifully illustrated.

The topic / subject was interesting and refreshing from the norm.

The text promotes the arts from a child's perspective, whilst highlighting the uniqueness and character that is involved in the theatre.

Great read!

No two mothers are exactly alike, but some are even more dramatic than others. One young girl has a mother whose job is quite unique; as an opera singer, she can often be found singing around the house as she practices her many memorable roles. When it comes time for her mother’s premiere, the girl, her brother, and their father find their seats in the audience and are whisked away into the story. The illustrations unquestionably make this picture book come alive. Created using colored pencil lines and a mix of muted hues, the children are shown as being quite small in relation to their larger-than-life mother. True to reality, the children often regard the stage performers as even grander than they might be otherwise. The narrator is the blonde-haired daughter, who spends much of the book drawing pictures of her mother in her many dramatic moments or dressing up in fabulous costumes. A range of faces are seen in the audience at the performance and encapsulate the many emotions common to theatre-goers. Short text and visually compelling word bubbles direct the narrative, adding humor and information to the dynamic illustrations. This unusual story is a great fit for young readers, especially those with performer parents. Whether reading with a caregiver or independently, children will love the silly presentation and the way the mother in this story brings vibrancy to her family’s life. Succinctly written, this dramatic tale is a visually engaging story for young readers.

I needed to read this book the minute I saw it on NetGalley based on the title alone. The book follows a little girl whose mother is an opera singer who is known for dying on stage. The book is both funny and sweet. The text is simple and brief to make room for the beautifully drawn colored pencil illustrations.

Thank you to NetGalley and North South Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a unique subject or a children's book! The mother who dies "delightful deaths" is an opera singer whose child describes her mom's flair for the dramatic and love of performance. I was completely taken with the idea and the storytelling; I was less enchanted with the illustrations. In the form of a physical book, I expect that the quirky artwork will effectively convey mom's extreme moods and dramatic roles. But on my e-reader, I struggled to feel connected to anyone in the story. I was distracted and bothered by the tiny child next to the imposing depictions of her mother.

Thanks to NetGalley and North South Books for a free ARC for review!

It was quite a short and fun read, kids will most definitely love it!
The illustrations were quite beautiful too!!
I had fun reading it!

This interesting picture book about what it's like to be the child of an opera singer was very fun! The dramatic art style fit with the idea of long opera dresses, and this showed how having a parent with an unusual occupation is both just like any other parent, and also sometimes very different! This is perfect for children with a flair for the dramatic, especially those who come by it honestly.

I loved everything about this book! A wonderfully funny story about having an opera singer for a mother from the child's point of view. The illustrations made me laugh out loud at how accurate they were. When a child views their parents, they look huge while the child is super tiny. The child dresses up in her mother's clothes and draws on the walls but you have to see the illustrations to fully grasp the humor from the child's point of view. I would frame these illustrations and put them in a child's bedroom, it's that good. Will definitely get my own copy when it comes out in Nov. 2021.