Data Digging
Most Recent
11th
Mar
2010
Product Description
This is a listen-to or read-aloud book for children. It is a resource that can be used to educate and support any child who is facing the cancer of aloved one. The story, as told through the eyes of a child, lends itself to a simple and clear understanding of cancer. It also teaches children to realize the power they have to be an active and integral part of a loved one’s cancer journey…. More >>
I purchased this book to help my not-quite 3-year-old daughter gain a better understanding of my cancer. As noted by another reviewer, this book is written from the perspective of a child whose MOTHER has cancer, so if you are looking for a more generic “loved one” relationship, this probably isn’t for you. That said, I appreciated that the book did not specify the type of cancer (usually breast) the mother has been diagnosed with as so many books for children seem to do. When I read it with my daughter, there were ample opportunities to stop and discuss how she and I are feeling. She also liked following the titular butterfly across the pages. It seems to have clarified for her what is wrong with me, what has already happened, and what will happen next. As with any parent with cancer, my worries are only compounded by my fears about how this all is affecting my child. This book has helped provide a reference point for us as her father and I continue to talk with her about what is going on.
I sent this book to a friend whose mother was diagnosed with lung cancer. She has 3 children 10 and under. After the grandmother went to her first day long visit at the cancer treatment center, my friend, had her 10 ten year old read the book. She gave it a thumbs up!! Explained things very well for her.
This combination of text and illustration should be a great help to families facing cancer, especially to the children involved. McVicker’s words are just right to support and reassure any child dealing with the diagnosis and with the effects of a parent’s treatment, and Hersh’s delicate illustrations, superbly complementing the text, shimmer with love and comfort. An excellent book!
What a wonderfully gentle and life-giving way to break very difficult news to the child who needs to learn of a loved one’s cancer. This remarkable little book will indeed give that child wings. It will enable him or her to realize that life is filled with transformations that often begin at the most difficult of times. A wonderful gift!
The success of this book can best be defined by what my child said to me when I read it to her: “Mommy, how did the book know exactly what I was thinking?” What better endorsement for a book than that!! There’s nothing else like it on the market. Congratulations to the author and the illustrator (who helped bring the words to life!).