Description

A heartwarming sensation that made the Japanese archipelago laugh and cry!
★ Over 400,000 copies sold since its release in July 2015 (as of May 2016)
★ #1 Picture Book on Amazon Japan in 2015
★ Selected by the Japan School Library AssociationDid my mom really become a ghost?
The story begins shockingly with, “My mom got hit by a car and became a ghost.” How could I suddenly die? The ghost mom, who is startled and tries to calm her racing heart, is more worried about her son, Gun-i, than her own death. Will my son be okay without me? Curious about Gun-i, she flies home and, sure enough, finds her child crying in his grandmother's arms. The ghost mom circles around Gun-i and his grandmother, trying to make her presence known, but no one can see her. However, that night, after midnight, miraculously, Gun-i can see his ghost mom. Finally able to talk to each other, they begin to share the deep feelings they have never expressed before.A healing picture book that brings laughter and heartwarming emotionsSeeing Gun-i talk about all the things he did wrong to his mom without realizing she is a ghost beside him makes me smile. He put boogers in her mouth while she was sleeping, told over a hundred lies, and forgot how old she was, saying she was sixty-five to his friends. Children forget the heavy topic of death for a moment and laugh joyfully at the humorous interactions between the two. Gun-i sleeping in his mom's underwear out of longing is a bit silly, yet also touching. When Gun-i bursts into tears, saying he doesn't want to be without his mom, it brings tears to our eyes and breaks our hearts. The ghost mom comforts Gun-i, confessing that the best thing she ever did was give birth to him. This moment reveals how precious Gun-i is and how much his mom loves him. She expresses her happiness in being Gun-i's mom, saying, “I was happy to be your mom.”Mom, please don’t disappearChildren will eventually face death. They will experience the loss of a beloved pet or family member. Just because adults find it hard to cope with death doesn’t mean we can ignore the topic. Since everyone will die someday, children also need to think about death. Naturally, a child's perception of their mother is incredibly solid, and the idea of losing her is unimaginable. Therefore, this book allows children to have an indirect experience of what it would be like if their mom were to disappear. Children come to appreciate their mom's presence and feel reassured by her existence. Moms can also feel how happy the present moment with their child is while reading this picture book. It is a book that helps both children and mothers realize the importance of each other, which they may have forgotten. The last page has space for the child to write a letter to their mom and for the mom to write a letter to the child. Here, you can share the heartfelt feelings you have kept deep inside. The everyday moments that felt so ordinary will feel different after this.A heartfelt message conveyed through lovely and happy illustrationsThe cute illustrations and warm pastel colors gently present the dark topic of 'death' at a child's level. The round and charming colored pencil drawings seem to soothe the sad hearts of children. The scattered toys on Gun-i's living room floor, the notes on the wall, the open books, and Gun-i's drawings provide many delightful details. In the scene where Gun-i and his mom go for a walk, the whole neighborhood is filled with ghosts. The ghosts, which children might find scary, are humorously depicted as not just people but also cats, dogs, trains, fish, and even poop. ≪My Mom Became a Ghost!≫ captures the sad theme of a mother's death with humorous sentences and warm illustrations.Interview with Nobumi, author from KodanshaQ. How did you come to create ≪My Mom Became a Ghost!≫? I’m curious about the motivation behind addressing death, especially 'the death of a mother' in a picture book.
A. The motivation for writing this picture book came from my wife mumbling, “Can he live without me?” I have a son named Kantarou (10 years old) and a daughter named An (7 years old), and I realized that, from a mother's perspective, she really worries about her two kids, especially her son. I feel the same way, but boys often do foolish things without thinking ahead.
The setting of a mother dying is a rare and extreme one in picture books. It’s a topic that cannot be treated lightly. When I thought about how a child would perceive 'people die,' the keyword 'ghost' came to mind. It’s very difficult to say directly, “Mom died in a car accident.” So instead, I said, “She got hit by a car.” Even a child can understand what it means to get hit. I thought that combining getting hit and ghosts could create a story. Even if it may seem overly chaotic, I had to express the delicate line between joy and sadness. In the first half, I included jokes that a child would normally share with their mom, treating the element of 'laughing' as very important. Of course, the death of a mother would be a shocking event for a child.
It takes only about 5 minutes to read this book. In those 5 minutes, you laugh and cry. There are very few books that can offer such extreme emotions. It’s possible because it’s a picture book.
Q. While there are voices saying it’s touching, there are also concerns that it might traumatize children.
A. Many people expressed concern that it might traumatize children. However, I think it’s okay if a child does get traumatized. Moreover, it’s uncertain whether a trauma will occur or not. Children don’t want to imagine their mom disappearing, nor can they. They take her existence for granted.
I completed this picture book by reading it to people I met during the draft stage and at lectures. I showed it to about 1,000 people. Children would often cry, saying, “I don’t want to hear that! Stop reading!” or run away saying, “Don’t read it again!” But such reactions show how much they love their moms.
Every time that happened, I would ask, “What would you do if your mom disappeared?” Even if they hate it, imagining it is very important. Through this, children can realize how precious their mom is. Everyone will eventually die. I believe it’s important to express those sad and difficult feelings through a picture book.