Monica Acker and illustrated by Paran Kim
‘Brave Like Mom’ is a children’s picture book written by Monica Acker and illustrated by Paran Kim. This is the story of a little girl and her mom who are dealing with an illness. The 
story shows and tells how the little girl and her mom interacts with each other on good and bad day interact of them. The pictures are drawn with light shades of colors that describe the emotions of each page of words. There are pictures of mom and little girl playing and then there are pictures of how the little girl feels when here mom is not feeling so good from the illness The little girl knows she must be brave like mom so she can help around the house when mom does not feel well, and the little girl even helps with her little sister and the some of the chores. The book also shows some of the choices in diet that one should follow as in the one picture when the mom and little girl are at the farmer’s market and tries some of the vegetables that are part of their dinner. The little girl knows that a good, healthy diet will help her mom and eveno be brave.
‘Brave Like Mom’ could be used in a child counseling clinic for children who need help in dealing with the emotions that the little girl is going through with her mom. Paran Kim’s illustrations were a perfect fit from the cover and throughout the book. Also, I think this book would also help older children as well as even adults.
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.
Brave Like Mom teaches children courage, empathy, compassion, and about female strength and endurance. It is 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.
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, 12×12, 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.
2022ISBN: 978-1506483207Beaming Books32 pages
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