Laura Numeroff | Wendy Schlessel Harpham | David M. McPhail
1 Good book to foster discussion
This book is written from the perspective of the kids. It's not the first book to get for a child under age 6 to explain cancer, but it's a good one for the elementary school aged child to open up discussion. My daughter is a kindergartener and does like to occasionally read this one together, but prefers the ones for younger kids. (Like Sammy's Mommy Has Cancer and Tickles Tabitha's Cancer-tankerous Mommy.) I do recommend this for the 1st to 5th grade age group though. It does use the perspective of many different kids of different ages.
2 Helping kids understand the difficult topic of breast cancer
"The Hope Tree" was developed by children's author Laura Numeroff ("If You Give a Mouse a Cookie") to help children better understand and cope with breast cancer. Co-author Wendy S. Harpham, M.D., wrote "When a Parent Has Cancer: A Guide to Caring for Your Children." Based on actual accounts, they create a fictional group of children who talk about what they and their families went through went their moms had breast cancer. Artist David McPhail provides comforting illustrations for each of the 10 topics.
This is not a book that will really explain breast cancer to children, although it certainly touches on key aspects such as how there will be bad days and how chemo makes hair fall out. What is does accomplish is to get out in the open the feelings and concerns children will have in this situation. For example, the first topic talks about "The Day My Family Found Out," and touches upon some of the things that happen on a traumatic day like that. Another chapter reassures children "You Can't Catch It," while several chapters talk about things you can do to help make things better. This book is aimed at children ages 5-8, and you can easily see how they might read this book and have suggestions as to what the family could be doing. The most important thing about "The Hope Tree" is that it is therapeutic as well as cathartic. Indeed, one of the goals of the book is that through open communication families can not just survive the cancer experience, but actually thrive.
3 An Important Book
I saw the author on the Today Show, and bought this because I know a family going through this difficulty. The book touches on many issues, but is really very positive. Good for bringing up discussion, especially for children who may be too frightened to share their feelings.
