The Hope Tree: Kids Talk About Breast Cancer

by Laura Joffe Numeroff, Wendy Schlessel Harpham, David McPhail (Illustrator)

Taken from personal stories of children whose mothers have breast cancer, a touching collection shares their experiences, offers practical ways to deal with this illness, and is accompanied by adorable and reassuring illustrations.

Genres: Picture Books, Disease, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Laura Joffe Numeroff is the NYT best-selling author of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, What Mommies/Daddies Do Best and Raising a Hero. She was born in Brooklyn, New York and graduated from Pratt Institute. Laura grew up as the youngest of three girls, surrounded by art, music, and books. An avid animal lover, Laura has always wanted to write a book about service dogs. She now lives in Los Angeles, California.

Reviews

[Salsabrarian]

A series of brief essays written by children about how their families cope with their mothers' breast cancer and intended to help open lines of communication. Illustrated using animals as characters. Discusses what some kids have done to understand what's going on such as picturing what cancer is, that you can't catch it, it's not your fault, talking with other people, cheering up their mothers.

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a breast cancer survivor I thought this book was excellent. While I don't have children I was teaching third grade when I found out I had cancer and so many of the children's responses rang true for my students' concerns and fears.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

it's important to have books like this to show kids that what they are going through is normal for that situation. the empathy is there is they want it, is the lesson: other people understand; you are not alone.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very powerful book in its own way. While I don't think this would be a book that I would be a book that I would read "generally" to a child, I would definitely use it in a setting where cancer is diagnosed to allow a child to talk about his/her own feelings.

[Rebekah Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the illustrations in this childrens informational picture book. I also loved how many different perspectives there were. It has stories and opinions from all different kinds of children and their experience of having loved ones experience breast cancer.

[Jessbop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written with the help and quotes from children whose own parents had/have cancer.

[Emily Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was very touching. It was very sad and made me uncomfortable. Especially that fact that it was about young children's experiences with death.