"I go to school every day. I miss my mom. I want to play."
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Call My Mom by Diane H. McGinnis, RN, BSN, Med Illustrations by Kim Pagano BSE, MEd Trafford Publishing
book review by Jana McBurney-Lin
Call My Mom is a sing-songy rhyming story about a young boy sent off to school. He really doesn't want to be there. He'd rather be home playing. So he pretends that his stomach hurts. Well, everything hurts. He is sent to the school nurse. But, the wise nurse, rather than phoning his mother, feeds him crackers. Our boy feels better and returns to his class where his teacher gives him fun things to do and he has friends which is good too. He still misses his mom, but school he decides is cool too.
This story, on the surface, is one that is easily identifiable. Who has not feigned illness to get attention? Or wanted to do so? The illustrations are simple, but colorful and cute. However, McGinnis' tale not only feels forced into a rhyming pattern, but the story ends up covering too many bases. Our hero at first misses his mom and tells what appears to be a lie so that he can get sent to the nurse's office. So that he might be able to be sent home. But then, it turns out, he really does have a tummy ache from a lack of a good breakfast. When the nurse gives him some food, he feels better and is able to return to class. Was the hero lying or was he suffering from malnutrition?