Promises

by Elizabeth Mahony Winthrop, Betsy Lewin (Illustrations)

At the opening of this moving and ultimately hopeful story, Sarah's mother is ill. During her treatment she seems to get sicker and sicker. She's often in the hospital, and at home she needs to rest. Sarah's world is turned upside down. After a long time, her mother starts feeling better. But Sarah still has one more difficult discovery to make: Her mom can't promise that she'll never get sick again. She can make other promises, though, and those special promises are enough for now. Warm, graceful watercolors add a light touch to this life-affirming picture book, perfect for any child whose family is touched by serious illness.

Genres: Picture Books, Illness

32 pages, Hardcover

First published April 17, 2000

Reviews

[Rebecca Palermo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary:
This book was about a little girl struggling with her mother's illness. She is upset that her mother looks different because she has no hair and tries to make sense of why she cannot do the things she use to do. She lets her mother wear her baseball cap until her hair starts to grow back and the mother makes promises for what she and the girl will do each day, but she cannot promise that she will never get sick again.

Evaluation:
Although this book was sad I thought it was also very touching. I think the thing I like the most about this book is that we get to hear it from a child's perspective and really understand the little girl's feeling and thoughts. For students going through a similar situation this book could be very relatable for them.

Teaching Point:
When it comes to the classroom, I do not think I would read it to the class as a read aloud or use it for a lesson. I would, however, have the book on my bookshelf as an option for students to read. I might suggest it to a student who is going through a similar situation. I think it can show these young children that they are not alone and help them find comfort while trying to comprehend what is happening.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book about a child dealing with her mother's cancer. I'm not sure it stands the test of time because it was published in 2000 and probably written a few years before that. Here's why I wouldn't recommend it for a family currently going through this struggle: the child is embarrassed by her mother's bald head; in fact, a classmate makes fun of her for it. The solution is for the mom to wear a baseball cap. I think that in 2021, we've seen a huge paradigm shift in that it's okay to look different. I think a story like this today would teach the child to live with the discomfort and embrace those feelings, and not try to hide the difference but celebrate it. In fact, in today's world I would expect the family in this story to all shave their heads, too.

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story about the young girl's mother and her fight with disease and must wear a hat or go bald for all to see. The young girl becomes a fierce protector of her mother as she goes through the treatments and finally has a good resolution for the little girl.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young girl experiences a range of emotions when her mother undergoes treatment for cancer.

Reading Practice


ATOS Book Level: 3.0

Interest Level: Lower Grades (LG K-3)

Fiction/Nonfiction Fiction

Topic - Subtopic: Diseases/Disorders-Cancer; Emotions-Fear; Emotions-Sadness; Family Life-Mothers;

[Debbie DeKoeyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet story of a Mom dealing with cancer and her young daughters take on the illness.

[Tim Hardin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story on how to cope with a beloved one with cancer.