Book review, Tokyo – On one of my frequent visits to the children’s section of a local bookstore, a familiar cover caught my eye. A lady ghost smiled warmly with a tear in her eye, holding a little boy tight high above a town in the light of the moon. A picture of mother and child separated by death no doubt, reaffirmed the title, “Mommy’s a Ghost Now!“.

I read this a few months back in some other bookstore. Then, I was drawn by the cover and had picked it up to see what stories it held. I recalled the sorrow, the tingling in my nose that grew into sniffles, and the ticklish vibes I got from the exchanges between mother and son. The pictures in the pages struck a chord, as I clearly remember tears welling up the last time.

This time was slightly different. I could read it more calmly, braced for the feelings and memories that were sure to grow as I turned the pages. And they did. Emotions had gotten the better of the reader in me the last time, probably more than just once. So I chose to focus on the text and pictures that told the story.

Roundish shapes, clear and distinct colors, the pictures seemed primed to brew humour. The text told a story of parent-kid bickering, over tiny details, countless I-told-you-sos and don’t-do-it-agains. All tinted by a sentimental  and funny take on a relationship that everyone can identify with, one that began with love from the start.

A picture book that exceeded my expectations, the title prepares readers for a story of mother and son coming to terms with her sudden and accidental death, and then being separated from her (and her eccentricities) by life and death. It seemed to suggest that it was all part of the journey for everyone, and, of course, the boy has to have his way of finding the courage and strength to live on.

Having read it more than once, it sure would make a special present, if I can emulate others in finding the courage to buy it for someone, perhaps for myself.

Title: ママがおばけになっちゃった！(Mama ga obake ni nacchatta, lit. Mommy’s a Ghost Now!)
by Nobumi
Publisher: Tokyo, Kodansha, 2015
http://children.kodansha.co.jp/en/books/picturebook/42631.html