Brave Like Mom by Monica Acker, Paran Kim
Published by Beaming Books on November 1, 2022
ISBN: 1506483208
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads

In Brave Like Mom, a young girl learns lessons about what it means to be “brave”, “fierce”, and “strong” in the face of her mother’s struggle with a serious illness (never named in the story) that “bubblegum medicine” cannot fix. The message is that these attributes can look really different on different people. The tone and message feels like the right balance for young children whose parents and caregivers are struggling with serious illness. The writing is fair and the illustrations are pretty but not dynamic. There is a need for picture books that address this difficult topic well, but libraries may be better served by other titles, possibly Cancer Hates Kisses by Jessica Reid Silwerski.

Reviewed by Deanna Contrino, Young School Library, Saco