No more Senora Mimi by Meg Medina, illustrated by Brittany Cicchese

 Sometimes I get a little tired of the plethora of social-emotional learning picture books and I yearn for a plain old story with dinosaurs or silly cats. Then something like this comes along that's just perfect and I realize that it's a great time for picture books after all, with something for everyone!

Ana, a cheerful elementary-school age girl with brown skin and curly hair has a regular routine. Every day her Mami takes her upstairs and drops her off with Senora Mimi while she goes to work. With Senora Mimi, her baby Nelson and her dog Pancho, Ana gets ready for school, walks there, and then gets picked up again and goes home through the park to spend the afternoon with Senora Mimi until her mom gets off work.

But now things are going to change and Ana is very excited! Her Abuela is moving in and will be living with them! She'll be with Abuela every day before and after school - Abuela will probably let her stop and play any time she wants and there are so many fun things they will do together! But then Tynisha, a kid in her class, reminds her that having Abuela means... no more babysitters - no more Senora Mimi! Ana is shocked at the realization and Mimi's quiet sadness during the day is brought out - she's going to miss Ana too! Fortunately, Senora Mimi has some wise words to help Ana and the story ends with the expansion of the community, showing Ana, Senora Mimi, Nelson, Pancho, and Abuela all in the park together.

Cicchese's illustrations remind me a little of Lauren Castillo's art, but they have a softer, blurry edge. A knitted motif runs through the story - Mimi has knitted matching sweaters for herself and Ana and on the last page she is starting a new project with the same yarn. Ana has a small but diverse class of 9 children of different races, one in a wheelchair, and the brownstone apartments and neighborhood park appear clean and well-kept with no signs of urban decay or other city issues. It raises an interesting question for adults - the two families appear to be single-parent units - there's no mention or sign of a second adult in either one. Mimi appears to be a stay at home mom with her baby and dog and Ana is the only other child she cares for. So, are the two families really privileged to live in an upscale area with a clean apartment building, complete with working elevator and for Ana to attend a small preschool or kindergarten with a small class, or is this just from a child's perspective? All the adults are caring, sensitive people who don't seem likely to pass on worries or problems to young children and with a safe, happy home, young children are unlikely to observe things from a more adult viewpoint. It's an interesting way to look at it.

Regardless of how realistic the background of the story and families is, it's a beautiful portrait of a child who is loved and cared for not just by her family but also by her other caretakers and a touching story of the love and care of caregivers for young children. It's also a charming way to introduce children to changes in their caregivers - it's not unusual in my area for grandparents to take over some childcare and, depending on the grandparent's mobility and state of health, they might be more likely to do so when the child is in school or more independent.

Verdict: Beautifully written and illustrated with thoughtful talking points for both young children and adults, this works equally well as a read-aloud for a group and as a one-on-one story. Recommended.

ISBN: 9781536219449; Reinforced/Picture book on Baker & Taylor for $14.39

Published September 2024 by Candlewick; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library