I’m no stranger to the ordeal of
brain tumours and while the trauma of diagnosis and treatment is beyond taxing
for those related to brain cancer sufferers, it can be positively paralysing
for those dealing with it firsthand, especially if you are just four years old.This joint project by children’s author, Coral Vass, illustrator, Nicky Johnston, nurse and director of Hand in Hand Fighting Brain Cancer Foundation, Amanda Christensen and Charity Founding Director, Carolyn Oldano, is in my humble opinion a beacon of golden shining light. As a relatable, touching children’s picture book, Where The Magic Happens is oozing with warmth and tender moments. As a resource for those children, parents, siblings, teachers and friends who have been impacted by brain cancer in some way, it is exemplary.
Cooper is a pre-schooler diagnosed with an aggressive, incurable brain tumour. Where The Magic Happens is told through his eyes, the same ones that see double now and then because of the brain tumour. His experience is relayed in a kind of confidential sharing of information, really important information and speaks directly to every reader especially the young ones. Cooper’s secret is that he is a superhero and he wastes no time telling us how this wonderful transformation occurred.
Through the need to undergo
radiation treatment, Cooper takes us through the requirements of superherodom,
what it entails and how it feels. He explains hope makes the most effective superhero
capes while best friends like his favourite stuffed toy, Mikey, become
brilliant shields. Equipped with this
kind of armament, Cooper assures us anyone can be a superhero.
Cooper expertly guides us through the daunting corridors and procedures of an extended hospital stay, likening it to a place where the magic happened. Some days are less enjoyable than others. Cooper’s body hurts, his appearance transforms and occasionally his spirit wilts but his mantra remains resolute; true superheroes must never give up.
Devastatingly, in real life,
Amanda’s young son’s body did give up, but not his legacy: to help youngsters
afflicted with brain cancer and their families to better understand and cope
with their illness and treatment.
Coupled with the gentle, emphatic
storyline are Johnston’s heart-floating illustrations. There is much to note
from them, namely the embracing warm hues used to portray a continued air of
hope and optimism. Ochres, oranges and golden yellows surround Cooper and Mikey
transforming their darkest moments into incidents of enlightenment. Detail is
secreted in plain sight thereby removing the scary from the reality of
overwhelming strangeness.
I remember reading a Little Golden
Book, (A Visit To The Hospital), detailing a small boy’s hospital visit for a tonsillectomy when I was
five. I obsessed over this storybook in the days leading up to my own
tonsillectomy until I knew the procedure better than the surgeons! I wager Where The Magic Happens will have a
similar effect on children and their families when faced with a condition far
more daunting than having your tonsils removed, which is why it is also far
more important to distribute to families affected by childhood cancer; this
being the all-encompassing aim of its creators.* Imagine having a resource
given to you at the time of a life-altering diagnosis that you can share in
your children’s language with them to instil a sense of hope and understanding
rather than just abject finality and confusion.
Regardless of your personal
situation, this book is one to share and cherish to promote empathy and
comfort. It will make you weep and make you smile. Ultimately, it will help us
all appreciate superheroes a bit better.
*Both book and toy (Mikey the Martian) will be given as a gift to every
child suffering from childhood brain cancer, in every hospital around
Australia, the creators believing that the book and the toy go 'Hand in Hand'.
Title:
Where The Magic Happens
Authors: Amanda Christensen
& Coral Vass
Illustrator: Nicky Johnston
Publisher: Hand in Hand Fighting Brain Cancer Foundation, $24.99 (Toy Book Bundle $40)
Publication Date: June 2021
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780646828589
For ages: 3 – 8
Type: Picture Book