Review “Mom's Magical Crown” by Lauren McClain

Score: 95/100 (9.5 out of 10)

Mom's Magical Crown is a beautiful, touching, and heartwarming children's book by Lauren McClain. It is based on her real-life battle with cancer, which she endured and triumphed over along with her family.

The book concerns a mom who is diagnosed with cancer and is required to undergo chemotherapy to save her, something which will likely result in the loss of some—if not all—of her hair. While relieved that chemotherapy exists to help her, she is saddened and appalled by the thought of losing her beautiful hair and possibly being bald.

This is a very common and understandable concern among those who battle cancer.

Well, thankfully, there is a solution! It's not 100% guaranteed or efficient, and it's not entirely comfortable, but it has been shown to work and it does provide help, hope, and relief to those undergoing chemotherapy. It's called cold capping!

Cold capping is using a therapeutic cap filled with dry ice that can chill/cool the head area where the hair grows. In the book, it is said to save 50-60% of the mom's hair after repeat usage! Wow!

Could you imagine the difference that this could make in the lives of those with cancer and their loved ones? There's tons of hope there. And hope is a beautiful and powerful thing!

Speaking of loved ones, the book isn't just about the mom (the one battling cancer) herself, it's about her family: her husband and her children, Connor, Jack, and Brooks. For family members, especially young ones, an illness like cancer can be a confusing and scary thing. Indeed, it's a confusing and scary thing for many. However, this book simplifies things for children to understand, explaining that cancer is when cells don't grow the way that they should and chemotherapy as a kind of “special medicine.” We actually loved and admired this explanation. There's really no need to make this complicated for children who are possibly already freaked out by their loved one's new condition.

We also loved that, despite its great stakes, it never seems overly-depressing or dire. There's no doom or gloom here, which can be a great thing for parents concerned about what their children are exposed to. Yes, it is emotional. In fact, there's a point near the end of this book when we genuinely found ourselves holding back tears. There's something about the family spending time together and playing games when they know that the mom's health is in question... it's heartwrenching and heartwarming all at once.

Probably the best thing about this book, beside the concept itself, are the illustrations! They are colorful and appealing. The mom is truly gorgeous in a Disney-princess sorta way, which is kinda fitting considering that her son likens her cold cap to a crown. The mom is probably a candidate for “Hottest Character” or “Most Beautiful Character.”

This is a great family story! We loved seeing how the family banded together to support the mom.

There's beauty in the line “Mom's hair is everywhere!” (an allusion to mom's hair ending up all over the house). According to the book: “The family learned love, courage, and a little magic. And so, the days turned into nights, and the nights turned into days. With their hearts full of love, they cuddled close, ready to face any adventure that came their way.” What a beautiful passage from a beautiful book!

Check it out on Amazon!