Customer Reviews

Butterfly Kisses and Wishes on Wings: When someone you love has cancer...a hopeful, helpful book for kids

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

After doing a lot of research I ordered this book specifically because the front cover and everything else indicated that the book was to help kids understand when "SOMEONE" they love has cancer. I was greatly disappointed when I received it only to find all the book talks about is when a child's MOM has cancer. It's hard enough to tell my children that their grandpa has cancer let alone confusing them with a book that specifically relates to the mom. Kids take things literal. The last thing I need them worrying about is that I have cancer as well! The cover should read "when your MOM has cancer", or better yet make the actual book more generalized as to who the person they love is because very few books cover the topic of cancer for loved ones other than a parent. The best book I've found to help a young child understand when a grandparent has cancer is "Someone I Love is Sick" by Kathleen McCue. It's very basic but it is a loose-leaf book that allows you to pick & choose what applies to your individual situation and change it accordingly as the person's condition or treatment changes. It also enables you to choose who the book is about: a grandpa, a grandma, a mom or a dad so you're not sending mixed messages to the kids by telling them one thing and reading them another.

Incredible book: excellent writing, wonderful illustrations and brilliant conveyance of a difficult message. I can't say enough good things about it. I hope your book reaches the thousands of doctors, hospitals, clinics, labs, schools, libraries and homes where it is really needed. You have produced something very special for this world.

I can't even tell you how many times I've read Butterfly Kisses and Wishes on Wings to my son! While I'm reading to him each night, he traces the "flight lines" of the butterflies with his fingers. He's only five and "gets it". His favorite part is where we share peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (The ONLY thing he'll eat for lunch!!!) I was 29 when I was diagnosed. He was only 1. I didn't have to explain anything to him as a one year old, but he understands the meaning of the pink ribbon now. This book is a MUST have for the children of survivors. What a great gift to give to your local elementary school or library.

I have passed this book onto moms with cancer as a way to lovingly portray the sadness and uncertainty of dealing with a cancer diagnosis. As a stage 4 cancer patient, 4 years out, I have found this book to be one of my favorites. It is specific to women, but not to a particular cancer. Kids need some guidance with cancer questions, and I feel parents can really benefit from a little guidance as well- I know it was difficult to know how to manage the questions I was asked. The illustrations are soothing and beautiful. This one is a gem.

I purchased this book to help my not-quite 3-year-old daughter gain a better understanding of my cancer. As noted by another reviewer, this book is written from the perspective of a child whose MOTHER has cancer, so if you are looking for a more generic "loved one" relationship, this probably isn't for you. That said, I appreciated that the book did not specify the type of cancer (usually breast) the mother has been diagnosed with as so many books for children seem to do. When I read it with my daughter, there were ample opportunities to stop and discuss how she and I are feeling. She also liked following the titular butterfly across the pages. It seems to have clarified for her what is wrong with me, what has already happened, and what will happen next. As with any parent with cancer, my worries are only compounded by my fears about how this all is affecting my child. This book has helped provide a reference point for us as her father and I continue to talk with her about what is going on.

The success of this book can best be defined by what my child said to me when I read it to her: "Mommy, how did the book know exactly what I was thinking?" What better endorsement for a book than that!! There's nothing else like it on the market. Congratulations to the author and the illustrator (who helped bring the words to life!).

I purchased this book for my 5 year old son to explain the cancer that his 5 year old cousin is currently battling. Someone else made a comment that children just understand this book. It is written very well and they just "get it". There were questions but he understood what the book was telling him.

Thank you!

I sent this book to a friend whose mother was diagnosed with lung cancer. She has 3 children 10 and under. After the grandmother went to her first day long visit at the cancer treatment center, my friend, had her 10 ten year old read the book. She gave it a thumbs up!! Explained things very well for her.

This combination of text and illustration should be a great help to families facing cancer, especially to the children involved. McVicker's words are just right to support and reassure any child dealing with the diagnosis and with the effects of a parent's treatment, and Hersh's delicate illustrations, superbly complementing the text, shimmer with love and comfort. An excellent book!

What a wonderfully gentle and life-giving way to break very difficult news to the child who needs to learn of a loved one's cancer. This remarkable little book will indeed give that child wings. It will enable him or her to realize that life is filled with transformations that often begin at the most difficult of times. A wonderful gift!