The first ever children’s picture book about cosmetic surgery ‘My Beautiful Mommy’ has received a mixed reaction from parents and professionals who are divided on whether or not it provides a positive message to send out to the target market of four to seven year olds. In a world where many young people already appear to be under pressure about their physical appearance and are, for example, aspiring to recreate the impossible look of airbrushed models and celebrities, this is indeed an emotive subject.

The book, which is intended to guide children through the experience of a parents’ cosmetic surgery, was written by cosmetic surgeon Dr Michael Salzhauer and illustrated by Victor Guiza. It tells the story of a young girl whose mother has cosmetic surgery in the form of Rhinoplasty (a nose job) and a ‘mommy makeover’ – which is the label that some give to a tummy tuck and breast implant combination surgery. ‘My Beautiful Mommy’ has received criticism for content that may be seen as inappropriate in terms of it’s message to young children, for example; an exclamation from the mother in the story that, following surgery, she will look, “different, my dear—prettier!”

Many children these days are expressing the desire to become a model or celebrity, and UK modelling agency Models Direct feels strongly that ambitions like this should not lead to the negative assumption that a natural look is less desirable than one which has been aided or perfected by modern day phenomenons such as airbrushing or cosmetic surgery. Current trends are, encouragingly, reflecting this view with the use of ‘real models‘ on the increase. However, with hundreds of thousands of mothers of young children still undergoing plastic surgery each year ‘My Beautiful Mommy’ would appear to have relevance for many families who, rightly or wrongly, go through the process and have to deal with the issues that it can raise. Many children of those undergoing surgery will notice associated bandages, bruising or an altered appearance and this is likely be unnerving for them, even if their parent is happy with the final result. So, could a book that confronts these issues provide a positive way to help children of cosmetic surgery patients deal with their feelings?

Elizabeth Berger is quoted in The Daily Beast as saying: “If the mother is determined to pursue cosmetic surgery, I think it’s terribly important to discuss it with the child.”

But she later adds: “Some mothers may realize that the total burden of the child’s anxiety might be a side effect of the procedure they hadn’t quite thought through and that might inspire them to postpone it until the child is older.”

Salzhauer counters this argument with the comment: “There’s a good percentage of your readers who are dead set against plastic surgery, who see it as a sign of the decadence of Western civilization, but when done by a properly trained board-certified plastic surgeon, it really does help make lives better.”

We would love to hear your opinions on whether you think a book like ‘My Beautiful Mommy’ is a helpful necessity in today’s world or a sad reflection and side effect of modern society that should be avoided at all costs. What do you think? Helpful or inappropriate?