8 Great Kids' Books About Working Parents

Notes From the Reading Nook: February 14: A guest post from Jessica Wilen

Hi there! 👋

Welcome to all my new subscribers! Thanks for being here. If you’re wondering who I am — and what you’ll receive from me when — hop on over here for more information. But be sure to come back, because…

I’ve got a guest post for you today, because I have lovely Substack friends who are willing to help me out when I need it (including when I am having a hard time admitting I need it), and even though it’s Tuesday, a day on which I traditionally only send to paid subscribers, this is going out to everyone, because it’s wonderful.

Jessica Wilen writes A Cup of Ambition, a weekly newsletter for working moms (and enlightened dads!) who care about building a meaningful career and being an involved parent.

I am: ✅ a full-time work-outside-the-home mom (did you know that?), ✅ building a meaningful career, and ✅ a super-involved parent, and I’ve been looking for a newsletter like A Cup of Ambition for years. YEARS. (I think when Jessica and I first met, I might have gotten a little worked up, possibly even teary, when she told me what she was writing about. This is the power of feeling seen.)

Every single week Jessica offers smart, thoughtful, always-useful information, perspective, and advice that has become indispensable reading in my inbox.

So when she gifted me this guest post that fits absolutely perfectly with my lived experience — as a fellow mom who also returned to work 12 weeks after both my kids were born; as someone who intimately understands the unique pain of walking out the door of daycare when your baby or toddler, who is going through separation anxiety, is bawling for you not to leave; as a professional with young children who travels for work at least nine months of the year — I said yes, yes, yes. Please.

I trust Jessica’s awesome recommendations for kids’ books about working parents — not least because I used, and still use, many of them myself, but also because she puts so much thought into everything she offers, this included.

Onto the books.

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8 Great Kids' Books About Working Parents

Or, using literature to assuage the mom guilt 😅

I returned to work 12 weeks after both of my kids were born, which means that they have only ever known me as a working mom. Despite this fact, my son went through a prolonged stage during toddlerhood when he would sob every single morning when I left for work. “Don’t leave me, mama”, he would wail. This phase went on for months—like 10—and was absolutely gut-wrenching for me. (And if I’m honest, also a bit irritating, since he never seemed to give my husband a hard time for going to his job 🤨)

In addition to singing “Grown-Ups Come Back” approximately one million times that year (thanks, Daniel Tiger!), I also relied on books to help reassure him that I would return. Since that time, several new books on this topic have come on the market, so I decided to round up several children’s books about working parents—with a particular emphasis on working moms. Some are heartfelt and some are silly. Whatever your preference, I hope you (and your little ones!) enjoy…

In My Heart by Mackenzie Porter

This charming book begins: “Each morning, I hear your feet tiptoeing toward my door. Your little giggles mean I don’t need a clock anymore.” (Amen, sister… it’s been almost 8 years since I set a morning alarm! 😵‍💫) The mom and toddler-aged daughter go about their morning routine, and as the girl is being strapped into her carseat, she asks her mom what she does all day.

The mom then recounts all of the times she thinks about her daughter during the day. She listens to her daughter’s favorite songs on her drive to work, sneaks a peak at family pictures during a meeting, and doodles during phone calls—which reminds her of her daughter’s artwork. It ends with a line that will resonate with any working parent: “Though we’re not together, we’re never truly apart because you’re always on my mind and you’re always in my heart.”

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Mama’s Work Shoes by Caron Lewis

Perry notices that Mama’s shoes make different noises. Her slippers go swish-swush, her sneakers go zip-zup, and her rain boots go pat-put. But when Perry hears click-clack for the first time, she’s not sure what that means. It turns out, it’s the sound of Mom’s high heels for her new job.

At first, Perry is upset to be left at her babysitter’s house, but she soon settles in and has a fun time. The next day, Perry is anxious for Mom to leave and hides all of her shoes. Mama gives Perry a hug and shows her that although the click-clack means Mom is going to work, it also means she’s coming back home.

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Mommy Goes to Work by Jossy Lee

This book goes through a typical day for a mom and son and points out all of the parallels that exist in their experiences. For example, mom drinks coffee while her son drinks milk, and mom goes to work while the son goes to school. But unlike most other books about working motherhood, this book also details what mom does at work—she works on projects, she builds her team, and she gives a presentation.

Perhaps most importantly, this book explicitly talks about how mom loves both her work and her time with her son. Similarly, the boy loves his time at school, making friends and building blocks, and is excited to be reunited with his mom at the end of the day. It’s simple and straightforward, with a very positive perspective on working motherhood.

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When Daddy Goes to Work by Paul Schofield & Anna Terreros-Martin

Of course, it’s often not just mom who goes to work. I love this book for acknowledging that Daddy also misses his kiddo when he’s at the office. Written from the father’s voice, we hear about how he counts down the minutes so he can be united with his son. When 5:00 hits, he’s out the door: “Dashing to the nursery, I can’t stop for anyone. Because who will I get to see? My precious little one.”

Throughout the book, we see Dad—and only Dad—taking care of all child-rearing tasks… dropping the boy off at daycare, taking him home at the end of the day, and tucking him into bed at night.

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When Mama Comes Home Tonight by Eileen Spinelli

“When Mama comes home from work, dear child / when Mama comes home tonight, / she’ll cover you with kisses, / she’ll hug you sweet and tight” begins this sweet book. That line could easily serve as a reassuring mantra for any kid having a hard time separating from mom in the morning.

Written in a soothing rhyme, this book recounts all of the sweet things Mama and baby will do when she returns home from work. The rituals that Mama and her baby engage in are universally relatable. Though this book was published in 1998, it has a timeless, old-fashioned (but not outdated) quality to it.

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Help Mom Work from Home! by Diana Murray

As we all know by now, working from home is both a blessing and a curse, and this book nails that experience perfectly! This is a silly book about all the funny ways the child “helps” mom as she works from home—adding glitter to her business cards, guiding her through a yoga break, ordering take-out, and turning the family cat into her personal assistant.

Preschool-aged kids and parents alike will appreciate the goofy humor. I also gave it bonus points for the background illustrations showing Dad taking care of an infant and coming home after grocery shopping 👍

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Great Job, Mom! by Holman Wang

This isn’t a traditional “mom goes to work” book. Instead, it details all of the other hats Mom wears—think of it as a fun, non-intimidating look at the mental load (who even knew that was possible?? 😅) Mom is a carpenter during the weekdays, but when she’s home with her kids, she’s also a doctor (when they’re sick), a journalist (documenting important events in their life on her phone), and a DJ (playing fun songs before bedtime).

Even more than the words, I really love the art in this book. The author and artist (who is a lawyer by day), makes 1:6 scale figures by needle felting wool, builds scale-model sets, and photographs them. The process is detailed at the end of the book for interested kids—and adults! (P.S., there’s also a version for Dad).

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Bea and Mr. Jones by Amy Schwartz

Best suited for the 4- to 6-year-old set, this delightful book has Bea and her dad switching places—Mr. Jones goes to kindergarten while Bea catches the train into Manhattan and takes over his advertising job. Mr. Jones excels as the milk and cookie monitor, quickly becoming the teacher’s pet. More impressively, Bea invents a new jingle for an important client and lands a promotion! Published 40 years ago, this book stands the test of time.

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A huge thank you to Jessica for sharing her experience and these outstanding recommendations! When Mama Comes Home Tonight remains in our home library and still comes out a few times a year as needed — as does Oh My Baby, Little One by Kathi Appelt, which is my personal favorite of this admittedly niche category (and which I reviewed in issue No. 9, if you’d like one more to add to your list.)

Read good books and take good care 😘
Sarah

(All Bookshop.org links in this post are affiliate links of Jessica’s, which means if you use any of the links to make a purchase — and you should; these books are worth buying — she gets a small commission.)