Book Review: Supermom
Supermom. Brooklyn Davis and Chrishana Greer, Davis and Greer Publishing, May 14, 2021, Hardcover and Paperback, 20 pages.
Reviewed by Barb Belford.
II had an opportunity to review Supermom by Brooklyn Davis, age seven, and her mom, author, Chrishana Greer. Mothers who juggle many responsibilities will see themselves in Supermom. They must parent while handling day-to-day life situations and careers. Supermoms play a significant role in their loved ones’ lives, overcoming adversity with integrity, leadership, and dedication. This book is a powerful reminder to kids that moms have superpowers.
The illustrations really carry this short picture book about a girl’s view of her mom as the hero in her life. When the main character sees a superhero on the cover of a book, she begins to reflect on all the things her mom does during the week. Mom goes above and beyond to make life wonderful for her daughter while attending school herself and coping with the stress of single parenting. We see her taking time to take her daughter to the park, making meals, participating in her daughter’s education, handling whatever life has in store, and not allowing anything to interfere with her most important job of raising her daughter.
Mom has strong messages for her daughter—to face challenges not as obstacles but as new journeys and to embrace her own path in life, knowing that her Super-mom will always be there to support her no matter what her future holds. The illustrations will appeal to pre-K children—they are detailed and colorful, and a pre-reader will enjoy following the story by following the pictures. However, the text is a bit difficult for the targeted age, and some rephrasing might be appropriate for younger children.
Supermom and her daughter live in downtown Chicago, so kids who come from an urban setting will find familiarity, and others will find a window into city living. The cover of the book is especially appealing—it shows a movie titled Supermom playing at a cinema while the daughter and mom walk down the street. The subtle message of this illustration—the roles moms have are big enough to warrant being a movie star—might be lost on children but will empower the moms who choose to read this book to their kids.
Supermom has an important theme—the celebration of moms—especially today when parents wear many hats. This book is part of a series of stories about the adventures of the main character and her mom. Me and Mommy’s Adventures is already in print, and My Special Father is soon to be released.