In Mommy's Garden - A Book to Help Explain Cancer to Children

In Mommy's Garden - A Book to Help Explain Cancer to Young Children


	"The book was a good 101 on cancer for children. I don’t think they need to know the details of how sick people get." - D.C. Cancer Survivor "It’s enough information for a younger child without getting too involved or using medical terms. It’s just basic knowledge which is all you ever want to give them." - Carolyn Huffman Breast Cancer Survivor

Major Strengths of the Book
In order to evaluate the book in terms of its usefulness as a tool to help adults talk to children about cancer and its cultural appropriateness, it was evaluated by cancer survivors and their children from a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The following strengths were identified:

The analogy that correlated cancer with weeds in a garden
The explanation of medicine
It stimulates questions and discussion with children
It has a positive ending and optimistic tone

No mention or inference of death
Does not allude to the concept that cancer means you won’t survive

Illustrations

Bright colors
Faceless characters without expressions
Beautiful
Culturally appropriate, does not target any one racial or ethnic group

Design

Book is not long, appropriate length for young children
Language and words are understandable
Simple, both the words and the illustrations
Printed in child’s writing

Content

Adequate amount of information for young children
Stimulates conversation
Addresses the concern of cancer being contagious
Helps children understand weakness from treatments

Usefulness
In Mommy’s Garden can benefit parents, family members, or healthcare professionals because it helps parents inform and educate children in a non-threatening manner.

All of the cancer surviviors said this book would have been a useful tool for them upon their initial diagnosis when they had to explain their children or other family members that they had cancer. One woman said “I tried to get my hands on anything and everything to read, and I did for myself. But I couldn’t find anything for her (5 year old daughter) when I was diagnosed, so yes…absolutely. It would have been extremely useful.”