Gundrum draws on her experience with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma to craft this clear-eyed but inspirational alphabet book for cancer patients. Acknowledging cancer patients’ need for “good thoughts to keep going,” Gundrum presents black and white illustrations and motivating passages centered on A. A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh, who is now in the public domain, each with a special message designed to uplift and entertain. She intersperses helpful tips for navigating the side effects of cancer treatments as well, rounding out the book with blank alphabet journal space for readers to “write [their] thoughts, designs and doodles.”

Pooh fans will find this as charming as the familiar bear himself, and Gundrum works hard to keep the reading simple but powerful. For the letter “H,” Pooh and Piglet embrace—and Gundrum encourages readers to use hugs as a way to heal, while the entry for “D” expresses the importance of a Difficult Day made better by the quiet presence of a friend. In classic Pooh fashion, wisdom is dispensed freely but subtly, as when Pooh declares “sometimes the smallest things take up the most ROOM in your heart,” and Gundrum takes time to bolster Pooh’s advice with her own understanding of just what cancer patients need: “If you do nothing every day, that’s ok! Your job is to get better. Let your medical team do the work. Let your friends and neighbors lend a hand if you need help with anything!”

For readers newly diagnosed with cancer, Gundrum explains the different tests they may face and offers practical tips to help negotiate treatment—including suggestions for keeping the body and brain active and diet recommendations for days when “your appetite is gone and nothing tastes like you remember.” The book’s strength is Gundrum’s tender reminders to never give up, wrapped in the gentle ambience of Winnie the Pooh and his friends. In Christopher Robin’s words, “You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.”

Takeaway: Whimsical Pooh-isms to inspire and uplift cancer patients.

Comparable Titles: American Cancer Society’s Because… Someone I Love Has Cancer, Nancy Emerson et. al’s Finding the “CAN” in Cancer.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: B+
Illustrations: A
Editing: B+
Marketing copy: B