Books for the Girls: Cancer Hates Kisses

Photo by Kimberly Farmer on Unsplash

Those who know me know I love books, especially kids’ books, and I enjoy telling people about my favorites. I plan to occasionally share about books that are relevant For the Girls.

Cancer Hates Kisses

Written by Jessica Reid Sliwerski

Illustrated by Mika Song

2017

I wish this book had been around many years ago when I went through my first bout with cancer, when our offspring were very young.

This wonderful picture book is told from the perspective of kids whose mom has breast cancer. It celebrates a family’s love while also demonstrating that equipping children with a positive outlook not only benefits the youngsters but also contributes to the healing of their parent.

While using great adjectives like “sneaky” and “meanest” to describe cancer, my favorite line is the one that starts the book, “Mama is a cancer-fighting superhero.” I love that the illustrations show everyday life happening alongside the mom’s treatment, nonetheless, my favorite image is of the mom, on the back cover, complete with the requisite superhero “POW!”

There are also two notes for grownups at the end of the book: one from a cancer specialist about helping children be strong through a parent’s cancer diagnosis, the other is from the author about how this book came to be written. A portion of the proceeds for the book go to the facility where the author was treated for her own breast cancer.

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Look for this book at your local library or independent bookstore. Blog For the Girls does not receive a commission or payment for reviewing this book.

If you have an encouraging book you want to tell us about, mention it in the comments below.

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