I thought I would share a new addition to our Christmas Gift Guide 24: Missing Momma: A Picture Book a children’s book by Winsome Bingham (Author), Rahele Jomepour Bell (Illustrator). I received in exchange for this review. Inside this post is my affiliate links. If you click on the links and make a purchase I will make a small percentage from the items you purchase.
I sat down to look through the book this morning and was stopped by the mom in a Army Uniform hugging her daughter. Just from the picture on the cover of the book I could figure out what might happen in the story but that shouldn’t stop you from reading the book which I dived right into.
In Missing Momma you will have many teaching moments including learning about a parent with PTSD from being in the Army and how it not only affects the person who was there but there family and friends. The book may make you sad at times but every parent needs to share this amazing book with all the children in there lives.
As a child of a dad who was in the Air Force I remember my dad struggling at times as well only we didn’t talk about it back then. I wish I had meet this little girl because she would have been able to help me with my dad.
her mom was stationed in Africa, Afghanistan and Iraq giving Charlie and I new Countries to study. Before her mom went into the serve they used to play and host fashion shows. Once she got back all she wanted to do was stay in her room.
They would listen to Beyonce who would have given Charlie a new musician to study. We learned about the food they would cook and the gardening they did. Sometimes mom just sits on the couch looking out the window. Lots of times she is still there at night.
Sometimes my mom is mean and screams words no, child should hear and she throws things. Mom, tells my friends to go to there own houses. if mom sits in the dark I do to. If she doesn’t eat I don’t eat either. I ask Dad when mom will feel better and he doesn’t no.
One day the little girl drags a bucket of dirt inside the house. She stands her mom in the Sunshine. There palms push the glass. Mom, presses her face to the Window and she does the same. Then we dig into the dirt.
To find out what happens next you will need to pick up a copy of Missing Momma and when you do pick up a copy for anyone you know in the Military, teachers and counselors as well as the children in your life because this is a wonderful Christmas Gift. Here is a fact about the book it’s based on a true story.
About the book:
A tender picture book about a veteran’s PTSD and a family’s love for each other—on good days and hard days—from award-winning creators Winsome Bingham and Rahele Jomepour Bell
Momma wears combat boots, a camouflage jacket, and a U.S. ARMY tag on her chest. She is a fighter for her country’s freedom, but she is also a fighter for her family. When Momma comes home from a long deployment, however, something has changed. Our narrator, Momma’s “Baby,” misses the big hugs, uniform fashion shows, and music mornings they used to share. And she really misses planting vegetables together. Now her Momma won’t even come out to the garden. But maybe, just maybe, she can bring the garden to Momma.
Missing Momma is the poignant and ultimately hopeful, comforting story of a child with a parent affected by PTSD. Sensitively written by Winsome Bingham and movingly illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell, Missing Momma beautifully reminds kids that a family’s love endures even on days that aren’t picture perfect. You can find the book here.
Meet the Author:
Winsome Bingham is a soul food connoisseur, master cook, US Army war and disabled veteran, and the author of one of the New York Times Best Books of the Year, Soul Food Sunday (illustrated by C.G. Esperanza), as well as The Walk (illustrated by E.B. Lewis). She received both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education and has more than 15 years of teaching experience. She lives in Connecticut. Rahele Jomepour Bell, an Iranian American picture book creator, graduated from Iowa State University with an MFA in integrated visual arts. She received an Illustration Mentorship Award from We Need Diverse Books and was awarded both the Portfolio Award Grand Prize and the Social Media Mentorship Award for Illustrators at the SCBWI National Conference. Her inspiration comes mostly from her childhood and Friday night family gatherings at her grandparents’ house and illustrated books from around the world. She is happiest creating illustrations that send the imagination flying, offer a new look at an old idea, and reassure the viewer of their place in this world. Rahele now lives in the beautiful tiny city of Ames, Iowa, with her husband.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
