The Illustrated Mum by Jacqueline Wilson

Format: Paperback

Publication Date: 1 March 2007

💭 My thoughts...

4/5 stars

With the publication of Picture Imperfect, I was determined to re-read The Illustrated Mum first. I remember being particularly attached to that book as a younger person, so I was excited for the adult follow-up.

The nostalgia was strong with this read, immediately bringing back to my childhood bedroom, reading on my bed full of cuddly toys and fairy lights. What I don't remember with that nostalgia is the depth of the subject matter in this book. I remember that Marigold was a very scatterbrained, irresponsible parent, but I was caught off guard by the level of neglect and mental health crisis that was addressed. I would imagine that it's because I'm now reading the same material through adult eyes. What I will say is that the subject matter felt well-handled in an age-appropriate way that didn't feel depressing.

Also reading things through adult eyes, I found it really interesting to see how my sympathies moved from Dolphin to Star with this re-read. I remember thinking that Star was really selfish as a child, because she left Dolphin behind and focused solely on what she wanted, but as an adult I can see that she was at a limit that no child should ever have to reach and felt really bad for her. On the flip side, I read Dolphin as very naive and overly stubborn this time around. I also saw Oliver as more important than I gave him credit for as a child.

I really enjoyed re-reading this and seeing it from a fresh perspective. It got me very in the mood for the sequel, as hoped.

📖 Synopsis...

Dolphin is her mum's biggest fan - Marigold is covered in amazing tattoos and she's super cool, but she's also a bit unreliable and needs more help than most mums. When Dolphin's older sister Star decides that she's done looking after Marigold and goes to live with her dad, Dolphin has to decide if she is capable of stepping up for her mum, or if it's time to ask someone for help.