Review of Mommies Get Scared Too
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Review of Mommies Get Scared Too
Mommies Get Scared Too! by Gina Lee Mendoza is a children’s picture book written by a mom of three. Gina is familiar with moments that make a mom’s heart jump, and she writes about several of these in this book. Gina has also dealt with a unique experience as a mom: cancer. She writes about this and how it affected her.
I initially enjoyed the format of the book. A scenario in which the mom is scared is described, then it explains why this is scary for the mom. However, this nice layout dissolves as it gets further into the book. It turns into part of a story about the mom’s experience with cancer. One format or the other should be chosen and used throughout the book. Another concern I have with the format is that it could potentially give kids the wrong message. The kids are the cause of the worry in the initial scenarios. The later scenarios aren’t caused by the kids, but the transition between these types of scenarios is abrupt. This could leave readers feeling guilty for things outside of their control.
The book lacks generalizability. This mom had a very specific experience that many others won’t be able to relate to. While I commend her on writing about this experience, the way it is written narrows down the audience. It wouldn’t narrow the audience if it was told from the kids’ point of view about “my mommy” instead of “Mommy.” This is a minor semantics issue that has a big impact. With the way it is written, this would be a great book for parents to read to their children if someone in the family has been diagnosed with cancer.
There are many positive aspects of this book. The editing is excellent! I didn’t notice a single error within this book. The pictures are also great. The book is illustrated by Gaby Martinez Huesca. Her illustrations describe each of the scenarios with a captivating picture that is perfect for capturing the attention of the readers. The scenarios that are generalizable are great. They teach kids that it can make others worry if they engage in certain risky behaviors. The overall idea that moms get scared is also a great message for kids to receive. Moms are often viewed as superheroes, which is true, but it puts a lot of pressure on them. This book normalizes the worry moms experience.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. I took off a star for the concern with the format and the resulting mixed message given to readers. I did not take off a star for the generalizability issue because I don’t think it is fair to take off a star just because my family falls outside of the intended audience. Aside from those issues, this is otherwise a great book! This book is an excellent pick for families with a cancer diagnosis looming over them.
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Mommies Get Scared Too
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