Breast Cancer affects so many women (and some men). My husband's aunt lost both her breasts to it. Abigail and Adrienne Ackermann (aged 9 and 11) found out their mother had breast cancer and they wanted to find out more. They discovered there were very few books out aimed at children of a mother with breast cancer, so they decided to write their own. And the American Cancer Society helped them publish it.

The story begins with the girls returning from summer camp and being told by their mother (and father) that she had breast cancer. They both cry, but try to take their mind off of it at a luau that evening. They ask her some questions and when she has her first operation the girls spend the time at their cousin's. They help their mom do stretching exercises with her. When their mother was sick they often spent time at their friends' houses and they missed their mom tucking them into bed, since she spent a lot of time tired in her own bed.

We learn that their mother had to have chemotherapy and she lost her hair. So their aunt threw a hat party and the girls wrote a song about hair and their mom got thirteen hats! The girls got lots of meals from friends, family, and neighbors and a new therapy their mom started taking required her to use a wheelchair. But their mom starts to grow her hair back and she starts radiation therapy that will make her tired but not sick and still allow her hair to grow.

At the end of the book the girls reflect on how the experience changed them, what they learned from it, and how they, their mom, dad, and big brother and big sister grew closer through the whole ordeal. It is very positive and hopeful.

On the very last page of the book is a photo of the girls and their mother wearing a hat. It has a little bit of info about the authors.

The illustrations are also done by the girls and they definitely look like they are. They aren't bad, they are drawings by children done in crayon. The artistic perspective is a little off sometimes, but the illustrations do help tell the story. The girls both wear glasses. One has short brown hair, the other has long blond hair, and their mother has/had long blond hair too. Sometimes we see people crying. We see an illustration of their mom in her wheelchair. The final page, which is also the front cover illustration, is my favorite and it shows both girls smiling at their bald (but also smiling) mother.

Another fun thing as that at the bottom of each page is a small illustration of one of the hats their mother received.

Overall I think this is a great book for children to look at when they've learned their parent has breast cancer. It will help give them an idea of what to expect and it is written at their level by authors who will be close to their age. I'd say this book is good for children as young as 5 to about 12 years old.

This has been an entry in laurashrti's Breast Cancer Awareness Write-Off. Today is the last day of Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Recommended: Yes