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Mother’s Hug, Mother’s Kiss
By: Beverly Stowe McClure
How does your mother show you she loves you?
A mountain gorilla hugs her baby.
She hugs her newborn to her chest when she eats. She hugs it when she travels. When her baby is older, she lets it ride on her back. Mother gorilla likes to play with her baby, who soon discovers Mom’s tummy makes a marvelous slide. They also enjoy a game of football or soccer, using a fruit called mtanga-tanga from a jungle tree. At night, Mother gorilla builds her nest on the ground and hugs her baby close when they sleep.
A manatee, or sea cow, kisses her baby, or calf.
They cruise underwater and touch nose-to-nose in a kiss. Mother manatee will grab her calf with her flippers, the way your mother holds your hand. Then squealing and chirping in manatee talk, they chase each other through the water playing tag or follow-the-leader. They rest underwater, until they have to surface for air.
A sea otter fluffs her pup.
Mother sea otter floats in the water on her back, holds her newborn fur ball in her paws, and licks and scrubs the pup until it is squeaky clean. She fluffs her baby dry by blowing warm air onto its fur. The pup loves to play on Mom’s chest. Mom’s chest makes a great place to eat too. At naptime, Mother sea otter folds her pup in her arms, and they sleep on the waves.
A giant panda cradles her cub.
At birth a panda is so tiny it fits into a tablespoon. Even though it is small, the cub’s loud, squeaky voice tells its mother when it is hungry. Cradled in its mother’s arms, the cub drinks her warm milk. Mother panda likes to stand on her head, roll into a ball, and turn somersaults, her cub tumbling after her. After playing for a while, the tuckered-out cub snoozes, cradled in its mother’s arms.
So how does your mother show you she loves you?
She hugs you when you’re sleepy. She kisses you when you need a kiss. She washes your face and ears and hair and then fluffs you dry with a towel. She cradles you when she reads you a bedtime story.
Illustration Copyright © 2008 Samantha Bell
Copyright © 2008 by Beverly Stowe McClure |
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