At just over 4 by 5 inches The Art of Motherhood is more of a nightstand book than a coffee table book. Still, at 448 pages, it’s packed with 224 color illustrations of art through the ages depicting mothers with their children. Opposite each image is a quote from a famous person. Examples include George Washington (“My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw…”), Erma Bombeck (“I came to motherhood with some experience. I owned a Yorkshire terrier for three years. At 10 months, my children could stay and heel. At a year, they could catch a Frisbee in their teeth in midair…”) and Benjamin Spock (“I really learned it all from mothers.”)
Although the reproductions are not art book quality, the small size creates an intimacy that works well with the subject matter. $18.95 at various booksellers, including The Book Cove, 22 Charles Coleman Blvd., Pawling. pawlingbookcove.com