Dr. Seuss has some new competition. Dr. Michael Salzhauer is a Florida plastic surgeon who has swapped his scalpel for a typewriter. His debut work, “My Beautiful Mommy,” attempts to educate the children of plastic surgery patients about tummy tucks, breast enhancements and nose jobs.

The story is told through the eyes of a little girl whose mother has a crooked nose and loose tummy. After mommy informs her that she won’t look the same after the operations, the little girl asks, “Why are you going to look different?” Mommy responds: “Not just different, my dear — prettier!”

The good doctor said that since so many moms brought their children to his office, he felt the need to provide a vehicle of explaining a mother’s desire for plastic surgery, recuperation and changed physical appearance.

“There are people who are going to read this and say ‘You’re indoctrinating kids and idealizing beauty.’ That’s not the intention of the book at all,” said Salzhauer.

Really?


USA Today:

Illustrations show a crook-nosed mom with loose tummy skin under her half shirt picking up her young daughter early from school one day and taking her to a strapping and handsome “Dr. Michael.”

Mom explains she is going to have operations on her nose and tummy and may have to take it easy for a week or so. The girl asks if the operations will hurt, and mom replies, “Maybe a little,” warning she will look different after the bandages come off.

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