Brown and curly, blue and fluffy, green and long... these are just a few of the many wigs that the two main characters, (mother and son), of Punk Wig try on as they search for the perfect fit for "mom."
This book, written by Lori Ries and illustrated by Erin Eitter Kono, was one that I truly feel will go far! It is a very new release (2008) and is unlike any book that I have read before. The story line is one that reaches out to children who have a parent with cancer and is undergoing treatment. The mother in this book loses her hair due to the the medicine that is "zapping the alien blobs" in her head. This is what leads her and her son to take a trip to "Harriett's Hair." In the end they find the perfect wig!
I loved this book for many reasons! As a writer, I can personally say that is very hard to write about tough topics for kids. However, Ries nailed it! She uses terms that children will easily be able to relate to and understand, inserting fun in all the right places and bringing light onto a very dark and scary situation.
Furthermore, I can look on the subject through the eyes of my 12-year-old self because that is when my mother lost her hair from the Chemo treatments for breast cancer. To have had a book like this when this was going on, or to have this book available to read to my little brothers, would have been extremely nice as it truly portrays everything in the right light.
Overall, I feel this book is an amazing addition to children's literature and will help many in the years to come. Punk Wig is touching and simply phenomenal - - a must for families balancing life with children and the burden of cancer.
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