Our Mother Can Turn into a Dragon And Speak in Tongues

By: Theodore Jerome Cohen and Pamela Geiger
Publisher: Wood Bridge, a Division of TJC Press
Publication Date: November 11, 2024
ISBN: 979-8345674826
Reviewed by: Diana Coyle
Review Date: December 17, 2024

In Our Mother Can Turn into a Dragon And Speak in Tongues by Theodore Jerome Cohen and Pamela Geiger, we are introduced to a family of two younger children, Mary Beth and Ryan, and their parents, Lisa and Robert. Since their mom grew up in New York City and their dad on a farm in the Midwest, they compromised to settle their family on a small farm west of New York City. This would allow their family the peace and beauty of living out of the congested city, but be close enough to the city for all their conveniences. Mom worked for a big book company as a book editor from her home office set up in the farmhouse loft, while dad commuted daily into the city for his office job. All seemed perfect for all of them. Or so they thought.

No matter how hard Dad would try to keep his wife happy, he found himself in plenty of hot water all the time. Since he had to do a daily commute into New York City, he never had the time to do the chores like mowing the lawn. This would make Mom mad and she would turn into a dragon and begin speaking in tongues all the time. So Dad decided to buy two goats to solve the long grass problem. It sounded like a great plan, but it turned into another huge disaster for Dad when Mom would hear one of the goats stomping his feet on the roof above Mom’s home office. Or when she found the other goat standing on top of her new car eating her radio antenna. So mom the dragon made another appearance to poor old Dad. Did the family ever find a happy medium to solving their problems without getting Dad into trouble and Mom not having to turn into a dragon all the time?

This reviewer found this children’s story hilariously fun to read and honestly couldn’t wait to see what poor Dad was going to do wrong next. Then when Mom turned into a dragon and started speaking in tongues toward Dad, the laughs just kept coming. It was refreshing to see the family dynamic expressed in this children’s story and to have the story told through Mary Beth and Ryan’s eyes was just the icing on the cake.

The illustrations that were provided on every other page were also refreshing to see because they weren’t the customary hand drawn or computer illustrated pictures you usually see in children’s books. Instead, they were stock photos chosen, which perfectly fit telling the story from Mary Beth and Ryan’s point of view. This reviewer especially enjoyed the goat pictures put in the story because it made the goats’ antics even more hilarious by seeing a visual of the chaos they were causing the family.

Quill says: If you are looking for a fun and hilarious book to share with your children, Our Mother Can Turn into a Dragon And Speak in Tongues by Theodore Jerome Cohen and Pamela Geiger is one you must consider. It has a fun storyline, great characters (the goats included) and is packed with plenty of laughs to be enjoyed by readers of all ages.

For more information about Our Mother Can Turn into a Dragon And Speak in Tongues, please visit the author’s website at: theodore-cohen-novels.com.