Geekscape Books Reviews: That’s Not Your Mommy Anymore
It has been the dream of every child to see his parents cursed with some horrible affliction at some point in their lives. What sullen kid hasn’t uttered careless whispers to the dark wishing pain and agony on mom over having been sent to a room without dessert – or entreated their adolescent gods to rain fire and wrath on dad over his use of a switch on a bare bottom, when it was plainly little Joey’s fault that the window was broken?
Told with the same glee (but far less graphic detail) as those childhood fantasies is the story of “That’s Not Your Mommy Anymore”. Chronicling the Zombie Apocalypse through a Seuss-esque filter, the colorful book serves as both a valuable narrative for adults and cleverly disguised survival guide for children who are deceived by their parents’ “love” and “kindness” that they might now know what to look for should one of them die and be transformed into a rotting cerebro-vore.
Author Matt Mogk is clearly aware that children respond more to a cartoonish presentation than graphic displays of horror and gore. The drawings are colorful and bright, the eyes expressive and the depiction simple and sanitized. They have almost a Disney-like quality to them.
The story itself – told in sing-song-y rhyme – is pleasant and will be easily memorized by children, as was probably the intended purpose in its delivery. The meter isn’t always consistent but toward the result of bad poetic structure vs. the survival of a vivified human race, it’s far from a criminal offense.
In the end, it all comes down to three things: awareness, protection and information and though this book will do nothing to truly prepare young minds for the coming storm (which is fine in the end, since nothing shocks a mind – young or old – to action than the sights and smells associated with true carnage), if used properly it could most certainly be the determining factor in a child’s survival if left alone with a parent-turned-undead-monster.
It also makes a poignant, honest and important Mother’s Day gift. The subject matter is obviously appropriate.
Happy Zombie Awareness Month.
