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Book Details:
Book Title: MC Plays Hide and Seek: An Empowering
Story for Healthy Children Who Care About a Person Living with Cancer by Eva
Grayzel
Category:
Children's Fiction (Ages 3-7), 64 pages
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Publisher:
Mascot Books
Release date: Jan 5, 2021
Content Rating: G for everyone.
Book Description:
M.C. is a cancer cell who shares just enough information about the nature
of the disease to promote dialogue and minimize fear. The scary part of
cancer is the unknown. Learn about doctors who look for cancer. Understand
feelings children experience and learn ways to cope. Empower children with
knowledge and how to make a difference. M.C. Plays Hide & Seek
strengthens communication and builds emotional health.
Buy the Book
My Review
M.C. Plays Hide & Seek is a book meant to help children understand cancer in a more simple way. It's a book that will hopefully guide parents/guardians into having an open and honest discussion about this awful disease and how best to understand and handle the feelings that come with the knowledge.
As a kid, I would have loved to have had a book like this. It's written in an easy to read way that kids will be able to handle, and the illustrations give a more visual aspect to the disease and how doctors check for it.
My grandma went through cancer when I was young. I remember her going from a happy, carefree person to someone who could barely get around, with snowflake hair (that's what I called it, since her hair was thin and falling out) and a frail frame. I didn't quite understand what was happening to her. All I knew was she was sick with something called cancer. A book like this would have been so helpful to young me. Thankfully, my grandma bounced back and all was well with her until I was in my early twenties.
This book also made me think about someone I went to school with. I considered her a friend -- we hung out as kids, riding bikes together and the like -- but she passed away from cancer a year ago. Reading this book made me a little emotional because it made me think about her death and how, not only was she so young (35), she also left behind her two young sons. I can't even imagine what they went through.
This book also made me reflect on my own life. I recently had to be screened for cancer due to a medical issue (thankfully, my biopsy came back clean/fine), and as a parent myself, I think having a book like this around to discuss cancer with kids is super beneficial. While it doesn't go into a lot of detail about the disease, or the treatment options/side effects of those treatments, it is a good way to open up a discussion with kids and have them ask questions to learn more about it.
I would recommend this book to everyone.
5 stars.
Guest Post
Life-Lesson Legacy: A Diamond-Studded Benefit of Cancer
Sharing a cancer diagnosis is an
opportunity to teach valuable life lessons to all those who know you and love
you. Children will openly witness what it looks like to cope with a serious
illness. You have a choice. You can complain, moan and groan. That’s easy! Or,
you can choose to find beauty and love in the midst of it all.
It’s human nature to kvetch. It’s
a human skill to recognize your gifts. Hone the skill of gratitude by
practicing. Look at the many positive and beautiful things that can happen in
each and every day:
Learning
Courage
Admiration
Acts of kindness
Friendship
Teamwork
Strength
Hope
Children have an eagle eye’s view
of what a good friend does. True friendship has a look and feel. Children
experience how good it feels to be loved and supported. It translates into
feeling confident about being empathetic and showing compassion. What a
diamond-studded life lesson!
Friends are great for the good
times, but you discover who your real friends are during the hard times. Cancer
can clarify which friends are ones to keep for life and which to put on the B
list. It was astounding to me that people who I didn’t know well, welcomed the
opportunity to help me. It was a gift to see which friends went MIA when I
needed them most. My children noticed the shift in who I considered my best of
friends.
A cancer diagnosis can bring to
light the value of being part of a community.
Whether you are active in your religious community, book club, study
group, PTA, or any other group to which you are a member, the value goes up
when you are sick. People are looking for ways to make a difference, and when
an opportunity arises, it’s astounding how many people step up to the plate.
This is a life lesson about how to show up and provide support to someone you
may not know well.
If you are diagnosed with cancer,
you might as well use it to your benefit. The biggest pay off is the life
lessons you provide. Children are apprentices. They learn from what you do. If
you stay positive, you will leave a legacy of how to:
Cope with hard times
Maintain hope
Manage their own lives while being
an active helper at home
Nourish friendships
Hiding a cancer diagnosis from
children is a lost opportunity to teach them about how to live a life worth
emulating. When we choose to face our life challenges with strength and
positivity, we turn adversity into opportunity - that’s right. Cancer is an opportunity
to leave a legacy of choosing courage, gratitude and moments to cherish with
those we love.
There is no medicine more powerful
than love.
Meet the Author:
Eva Grayzel is a motivational speaker, storyteller, and cancer survivor.
When her children were five and seven years old, she was diagnosed with
cancer. Their fear of losing her was deep, real, and suppressed. When she
got a second chance at life, she created the Talk4Hope book series to help
children understand cancer and make it less scary.
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What a beautiful personal reaction to reading M.C. Plays Hide & Seek. It's not just helpful to kids! I appreciate your thoughtfulness, and the five stars!
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome! :)
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