My Beautiful Mommy
Encyclopedia
My Beautiful Mommy is a children's book written by plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Salzhauer. It is the first book ever written for children about plastic surgery
and was illustrated by Victor Guiza.
and rhinoplasty
. The book is intended to help parents who have chosen to have plastic surgery explain their children the process of their surgery.
Salzhauer has responded to the criticisms by saying "The book just goes toward trying to make the process as understandable as possible for the kids, so they can feel included and don't have to make things up in their minds on what's going on" and "This book was written with the best of intentions. It wasn’t trying to corrupt society. It is not glamorizing plastic surgery. It is not intended to be a best seller that children read with their parents before they go to sleep."
Plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand...
and was illustrated by Victor Guiza.
Plot synopsis
The book focuses on a young girl as her mother undergoes abdominoplastyAbdominoplasty
Abdominoplasty or "tummy tuck" is a cosmetic surgery procedure used to make the abdomen more firm. The surgery involves the removal of excess skin and fat from the middle and lower abdomen in order to tighten the muscle and fascia of the abdominal wall...
and rhinoplasty
Rhinoplasty
Rhinoplasty , also nose job, is a plastic surgery procedure for correcting and reconstructing the form, restoring the functions, and aesthetically enhancing the nose, by resolving nasal trauma , congenital defect, respiratory impediment, and a failed primary rhinoplasty...
. The book is intended to help parents who have chosen to have plastic surgery explain their children the process of their surgery.
Controversy
My Beautiful Mommy has been criticized for depicting cosmetic surgery and for a line that suggests that mommy's new nose will "be prettier." Child psychologist Elizabeth Berger has noted that while an explanatory book will be helpful for children, it "can be difficult for small kids to understand".Salzhauer has responded to the criticisms by saying "The book just goes toward trying to make the process as understandable as possible for the kids, so they can feel included and don't have to make things up in their minds on what's going on" and "This book was written with the best of intentions. It wasn’t trying to corrupt society. It is not glamorizing plastic surgery. It is not intended to be a best seller that children read with their parents before they go to sleep."