Children's Book

This book deserves credit just for being in existance when there is nothing else that offers tattoo related stories for children. But I feel like the book was rushed in terms of art and publishing, and it's disappointing knowing that it could have been so much better.

Mommy Has a Tattoo is a colorful book written for children who may not understand tattoos. It's a story of a little boy named James who is afraid of his heavily tattooed neighbor, and is then shocked to find out that his own mother also has a tattoo. He eventually decides that people with tattoos aren't scary after all and enjoys wearing a few temporary tattoos of his own.

The premise of this book is promising. I was very excited to receive my copy from Amazon to review. I have two kids of my own and enjoy reading stories with them. Unfortunately, I was slightly disappointed in this book - not because it's a bad book, but because I feel that it really doesn't live up to its potential.

The art is colorful and child-friendly, but rudimentary at best. A book designed for people with an appreciation for art should have offered a much less casual approach to its own artwork. Example: The heavily tattooed neighbor has a tattoo on his neck of a bright yellow smiley face.

The story itself lacks imagination. The neighbor's name is Mr. Too and his dog's name is Tattoo - although I do find the dog's name feasable. But is this all the author could really think of?

The story isn't entirely accurate. After meeting Mr. Too's dog, James asks if Tattoo also has tattoos and his mother tells him that tattoos are only for people.

The very title of this book limits its own audience. If it was titled "James' Mommy Has a Tattoo," then it would apply to more children because not every kid is going to have a mother with a tattoo. But almost all of them are going to know someone who has a mom with a tattoo. The story could have been altered to apply to a larger audience.