Is Your Mama a Llama?

For my book talk, I chose to read “Is Your Mama a Llama?” written by Deborah Guarino and illustrated by Steven Kellogg. The main character in this story is a Llama named Lloyd. He is on the search to discover his mother's identity and repeatedly asks his friends if their mamas are llamas. His friends are comprised of an assortment of animals including a bat, a swan, a cow, a seal, and a kangaroo – all of which do not resemble a llama. Near the end of the story, Lloyd sees his friend, Llyn, who is also a llama. Llyn explains to Lloyd that both of their mamas are llamas.

This book serves as a good resource for an elementary school curriculum. Since pictures play an important role in the story, it provides a great opportunity to discuss the differences between the jobs of an author and an illustrator. The story, begins with Lloyd asking Dave the Bat if his mama is a llama and Dave replies with a riddle. The rhyming words and riddles throughout the story allow the students to predict what type of animal Lloyd’s friends are. As the story continues, Lloyd asks if he is related to animals in which he shows no resemblance, providing a silly storyline with which students can read along. This story allows students to develop key prediction skills, which are useful when reading any work.