Is Your Mother Smart?

Tomie shipped the completed artwork for MY MOTHER IS SO SMART (Putnam, March 18, 2010) to his publisher this past Monday. Today, he opened a packet of letters from Rita Lenes's second grade class at Carriage Crest Elementary in Renton, Washington, and many of the students wrote to explain why their mothers were smart, too.

Sydney: Yes, my mother is smart. She helps organize the furniture to where it is going.

Celeste: My mom is smart because she can add big numbers.

Alex: My mother is smart because she knows how to out smart me. Ideas for another book: My dad is smart.

Allison: My mom is smart because she brain storms a lot and she reads a lot of books, does math and that's how she got so smart.

Ben: My mom is smart because she doesn't buy food cans that are damaged.

Victor: My mom is smart because she helps me with my homework.

Jolie: My mother is smart because I have hard fraction problems in homework and she makes it easy to do.

Sabica: My mom is smart because she always cooks and helps me with other stuff.

Kenan: My mom is smart because she knows when people are hurt.

Randy: Mr. Tomie, my mother is smart because she buys food that I want. I don't have to tell her.

Irene: My mother is smart because she knows what happens next. AMAZING I say!

Connor: My mom is special because she has me and three other kids.

Alexandra: My mother is very smart. She is beautiful, too.

Ahron: My mom is smart because she is a teacher.

Chloe: My mom is smart because she can help me with all my homework.

Colin: My mom is smart because she knows when the bus is gone.

Taylor: My mother is smart because she knows all the countries she's teaching me.

Kierra: My mother is smart. Very, very smart. She can help my fourth grade brother on fifth grade math and she knows most things about cooking. Well, she... let's put it this way: She knows a lot about cooking. She is a great cook! She also helps me make stuff in the shop and she helps me make stuff out of fabric.