Brave Like Mom

by Monica Acker, Paran Kim (Illustrator)

Overview

As one girl watches her mom battle illness, she sees Mom being strong, brave, and fierce on both good days and bad ones. Mom is fierce as she catches and wrestles a fish and brave as she endures needles from the doctor. The girl wants to be brave like Mom! As she worries about her mom's health, the girl realizes that bravery comes in many forms and that she can be brave too.

A poignant and sensitive story about a loved one living with a chronic illness, and an important lesson about how being brave doesn't mean you aren't scared.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781506483207
Publisher:	Augsburg Fortress, Publishers
Publication date:	11/01/2022
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD590L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Monica Acker is a writer and educator. She holds a BA in creative arts and a MAT degree in childhood education. Monica is a member of SCBWI, 12x12, and Children's Book Insider. She lives in Reading, Massachusetts, with her family.

Paran Kim grew up in Seoul, South Korea, but moved to Tokyo when she was twenty to study fine art. She realized her true passion lay in making picture books and became a full-time illustrator. Paran now lives in Dresden, Germany, with her husband.

Editorial Reviews

"It's an important lesson, one supported by colorful and engaging illustrations that capture the good moments and the not-so-good ones. . . . Tenderly encouraging, with a message of hope and resilience." —Kirkus Reviews

"Brave Like Mom is a poignant and sensitive story about a child living with a parent who has a chronic illness. Thoroughly 'kid friendly' in presentation and with an important lesson for young children about how being brave doesn't mean you aren't scared." —Midwest Book Review

From the Publisher

2022-10-12
Courage takes on many forms.

A nameless protagonist with straight brown hair and light tan skin describes the many impressive things their mom does. The mother, who has short dark brown hair and tan skin, can lift the narrator up with “rocket-booster arms” so the child “can soar through the sky,” and she “opens the applesauce jar without making a funny face.” But the mother is also sick: “sicker than bubblegum medicine can fix. She tries different treatments now, hoping one day they will make her feel better.” As the story proceeds, the mother catches scary spiders in jars and wrangles a largemouth bass, but she also spends time in the hospital and “battles fatigue, aches, and pains before her feet hit the floor each day.” As a result, the protagonist sometimes feels scared and even cries. Thankfully, their supportive mom reminds them that “being strong doesn’t mean you can’t cry,” and “being brave doesn’t mean you’re never scared.” It’s an important lesson, one supported by colorful and engaging illustrations that capture the good moments and the not-so-good ones. In an author’s note, Acker mentions that the mother character was based on her sister-in-law, who died of cancer in 2020, but the story never specifies the illness, making for a tale that will bolster many children with sick parents and caregivers. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Tenderly encouraging, with a message of hope and resilience. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews