Can You Hear Me, Daddy?: A Heartwarming Children’s Book About Loss and Grief
Written by Y.Y. Chan
Illustrated by Pearly L.
This book explores how cancer affects children in a family. It is written in first person from the point of view of a young daughter whose father has been diagnosed with cancer.
Written in the calendar format of a diary, the daughter explores the ups and downs of cancer. There is surgery, then hope, and then despair. The dying father tenderly explains that his daughter will always be able to talk to him in her heart.
While the book discusses a sad topic, the author presents the topic with empathy and hope. I would recommend the book for families who face cancer and would like an approach to opening up the topic with their children.
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Phyllis Schwartz is a married mother of two, who, after a highly successful career in the TV news business, finally has the luxury to indulge in and focus on her “civilian” writing. Even as a kid, she kept a diary and wrote little stories and poems, a creative release that continued well into adulthood. She wrote news by day and poetry by night. And despite battling three different types of cancer over more than three decades, she is still filled with energy, joy, and optimism, and she looks forward to writing more poetry and children’s books.
Her writing centers on the beauty she finds daily: Her friends, husband, and two children, as well as her garden and her beautiful beach town residence in dreamy Encinitas, provide continued inspiration for her verse.
A family pulls together to help their mother when she is sick with cancer. They make funny videos, bake cookies, color get-well cards, entertain her and do all they can to cheer her up.
The beautiful, colorful, multicultural illustrations and funny rhymes keep elementary grade children entertained while discussing a serious subject. Young readers learn lessons about compassion, love, empathy, and family resilience while working through a difficult situation.
I would highly recommend this book to parents and teachers, especially those undergoing a family illness as a model of strength and resilience to teach children strategies for dealing with the stress of a family crisis.
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