Tough Like Mum
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
What does it mean to be tough? Kim finds out in this moving mother-daughter story about family hardship, vulnerability and love, perfect for fans of Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors.
Kim's mum is tough. Everyone says so. She can deal with unruly customers at the Red Rooster with a snap of her fingers.
Kim is tough, too. She doesn't need to wear a hat to keep her ears warm. And she can make soup all by herself, even without the stove.
Kim and her mum are tough.
But Kim is learning that sometimes toughness doesn't look like what you'd expect.
In this tender exploration of a mother-daughter relationship, Kim and her mother learn that in order to support and truly take care of each other, they need to be tough -- and that sometimes being tough means showing vulnerability and asking for help.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
According to "everyone in town," Kim, a pale child with brown hair, is "tough" like her single mother, who works as a waitress and for whom it's difficult to make ends meet. Groceries seem limited, and contextual clues imply that the family's power has been turned off: "I don't need the stove to make this soup taste good," Kim says, and their home is lit solely by candle at night. For lunch, there's "just ends. So the last two pieces of pepperoni and a mustard smile." But the child attempts to sustain a positive attitude, channeling her mother throughout the day despite lacking funds for a field trip and experiencing bullying. Mok offers simple, carefully shaded gouache and colored-pencil art, underlining this sensitive portrayal of the bond between one mother and child navigating difficult circumstances and whether to welcome help. Ages 3–7.
