Momma, Can I Sleep with You Tonight? By Jenny Delacruz, Illustrated by Danko Herrera (2020) – paperback
Momma, Can I Sleep with You Tonight? is an absolute must-have for any parent/guardian whose child is struggling to cope with the current COVID-19 pandemic. One of the benefits of self-publishing is the ability to expedite traditional publishing timelines, which are typically around 1-2 years at the very least. Author Jenny Delacruz produced this timely, expertly written book in a matter of months. She is a licensed counselor who specializes in family conflicts, trauma, and parenting issues. Using her expertise, she addresses the issue of a child who is having trouble sleeping one night after sharing with his mother that his “whole life feels like a bad dream.” “I have too many feelings. They’re all twisted up,” he says. Mom then has a very important and constructive conversation with her son about his feelings, and finds the perfect way to calm him and help him understand this new normal that the world is currently facing.
In the “Afterword” of the book, Delacruz provides a fantastic resource for parents to further the conversation with their kids. She outlines the stages of grief and gives some parental advice on how to respond to a child who is asking tough questions. The book illustrations are bold and colorful, and we love that the family in this story just happens to be “of color!” Their ethnicity is not pertinent to the story. Families of any background, from anywhere around the world, can appreciate the message of this book.
Note: There is one mention of prayer in the book with the following line: “What if I pray everyday?”
Take-away message: It’s entirely natural to feel scared and uneasy during these challenging times. But what’s important is having a support system. And, as a parent, having the tools and resources that enable healthy conversations with your children.
More about the author:
“Jenny Delacruz is the CEO of Cobbs Creek Publishing. She has a background in counseling and social work. She understands how the books that children read help them make meaning about themselves and their world. Jenny has an M.S in Counseling and minored in African & African American Studies. She is of Haitian descent and creates books that help children fall in love with world history and process current events.
Her desire to have the freedom to create unique books led her to start this publishing company and write children books.”
TAGS: Black, family, mother-son, covid19, paperback
Also by Jenny Delacruz:
Friday’s with Ms. Mélange: Haiti
