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A cancer diagnosis is a difficult and frightening experience for anyone. But when a parent is diagnosed, the anxiety he or she feels about knowing what to tell their children can be overwhelming. Parents with young children are often reluctant to discuss a diagnosis with their children because they are at a loss about what information should be given to them, as well as how much they should be told. Unfortunately the literature and resources available for parents to use as tools for discussing cancer are scarce, particularly culturally appropriate materials.
What is In Mommy’s Garden?  The text in the book is simple and the sentences are short. The characters in the illustrations were created with multicultural skin tones and without faces. This was done so children can easily identify with the characters regardless of their race and they can imagine their loved one’s face in place of the faceless character. The plot of the story revolves around the narration of a little girl whose mother has cancer. She talks about how her mom explained cancer to her by comparing weeds in a garden to cancer cells in the human body. The book also touches upon concerns of children including fear of it being contagious and the child’s emotions when the mother’s weakness from her medical treatments makes her unable to play with her daughter. |
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