Mommy! I Made a Boo-Boo (Colowellness Learning Books)

Authored and edited by Erin King-Mullins, MD
Dr. Erin King-Mullins was born in Orlando, Florida and raised in historic Sanford, Florida. At an early age she determined she wanted to become a physician. Throughout her education and training, colon and rectal surgery has become her passion. It was the level of patient interaction and the focus on prevention while also being able to intervene that made this specialty the perfect fit. After becoming a wife and mother, she realized how much family health education could be achieved through children’s books. Aspiring to create a series of kid and adult friendly books to discuss colorectal topics, she hopes to make a positive impact on disparities in colorectal health.

The inspiration for “Mommy! I Made a Boo-Boo” came from being the mother of two children. Dr King- Mullins realized that it is possible to educate children even at a very early age as she is doing with her three year-old daughter, priming her to be responsible with her health. This has further inspired her to create a series of kid (and adult) friendly books to discuss colorectal topics, with the hope of providing parents and their children with the same education that she is able to provide her children.

The book contains illustrations of a little boy and his mother and diverse friends which is very apt, as it makes it far more relatable to persons of color and minorities. Throughout the book, the mother educates her son on colon wellness first, by letting him know that there is no shame in passing feces and then by providing him with fruits to promote colon health. Parents can use this information as prompts to educate their children on the benefits of eating fruits and other fiber rich foods to maintain a healthy colon.

Dr. King-Mullins illustrates clearly what happens to food from the time it is ingested to the time it passes out as waste allowing children as well as their parents to better understand first, the importance of eating for energy, and second, how waste is created. Throughout the book, bright, attractive illustrations really drive the points home.

Perhaps my favorite part of this book is Dr. King-Mullins illustration of the use of colostomy bags:

“Some kids are extra special. That makes me very glad. Their food goes to their tummy, and their poop goes to a bag.”

Making mention of this has the two-fold effect of allowing kids who have regular GI tracts to understand what a colostomy bag is, and to recognize and appreciate that children who do have bags are normal too. Dr. King-Mullins goes on to highlight that despite physical differences we are all brothers and sisters in humanity. She does this through an illustration of a boy in a wheelchair, a girl with a colostomy bag and the protagonist of the story all playing together in a playground. What a powerful lesson to children to appreciate themselves and each other!

The book ends with some activities which are really useful in reinforcing some of the concepts highlighted in the book as well as a preview of the next book in the series “Mommy Gets a Colonoscopy”

One might not immediately recognize the value of a book series on colon health for children, but what Dr. King-Mullings really seeks to do is create generational knowledge. By helping children at a tender age to understand the way in which the digestive system works and how to take care of their colons, she is setting them up to be better than this generation as they will grow up empowered with this valuable knowledge which they can pass on to the next generation. Additionally, this book series will educate parents and empower them to be more responsible and proactive with regard to their children’s colon health as well as social issues such as ethnicity and background that tend to divide them.

I would like to commend Dr. King-Mullins on this highly innovative and creative method of providing health education while at the same time trying to eliminate racial and social disparities.

About the Reviewer: Jamesa Fabien, MD

Jamesa Fabien, from the Caribbean Island of Dominica, is a general surgery Intern at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. She is a graduate of Ross University School of Medicine, class of 2023, and the University of the West Indies, Cavehill Campus, class of 2016. Her desire to be a surgeon stems from her recognition of gaps in surgical healthcare in her region. Committed to improving healthcare disparities and educational opportunities for the underserved and under-represented, Jamesa joined the Association of Women Surgeons (AWS) serving first as Co-Chair of the AWS Instagram Committee 2020-2022. In that role, she prioritized creating content, resources, and events that boosted the voices of, and provided empowerment for those under-represented in medicine and surgery. She later served as Diversity and Inclusion Co-Coordinator (2021-2022) then as Chair (2022-2023) for AWS National Medical Student Committee. She hopes to assist in promoting unity among women in surgery and providing support and resources for those under-represented in medicine and surgery.

Jamesa is the youngest member of a family of writers and grew up with a passion for writing. To date she has published three books and has co-authored 9 peer-reviewed journal articles and oral presentations. As she advances in her career as a surgeon, she hopes to continue to publish as a means of helping to generate awareness and eliminate racial disparities.