Our favourite mums in children's literature

Ahead of Mother’s Day, we look forward to the day to thank our mums for being wonderful.

In honour of celebrating mothers, we're reminding ourselves of some of the best mums in children’s literature, many of which feature in books on our Recommended Reading List.

Let’s start off with Mrs Weasley from Harry Potter; this fearless mum also acted as a surrogate mother to Harry, whilst looking out for her own brood. She knits cosy jumpers and is always ready and raring to lend a hand.

Homily Clock in The Borrowers might be a little materialistic and proud, but she is definitely a good mum. She helps convince the overbearing Pod to let Arrietty have some fun and get out of the house!

Marmee in Little Women always has time for her daughters, tending to their emotional needs and counselling them through their problems. She also does charitable work and skilfully keeps house. She never seems to lose her temper and protects her girls while still allowing them to make their own mistakes.
Mrs Darling in Peter Pan embodies the idea of the ‘perfect’ mother. She keeps everything in order, including her children’s minds. Wendy then mimics her as she becomes a mother to the lost boys.

Kanga from Winnie-the-Pooh is mother to Roo but takes all the Hundred Acre Wood characters under her wing. She is warm and caring and offers counsel and help to all who need it. As the only female character, her maternal nature shines through the books.

While she may not be Matilda’s biological mother, Miss Honey becomes Matilda’s adoptive mother in Roald Dahl’s children’s classic, finally giving Matilda the love and support she deserves. She is the only adult to realise Matilda’s incredible abilities and encourages her to reach her potential.

What these mothers have in common is their kind hearts and unwavering support of their children, and we definitely think they are worth remembering!

So, to all mums, happy Mother’s Day! We hope you enjoy your day.