Menopause is one of those things you don’t hear much about (or think about) until you’re over forty or have friends in their late forties and early fifties. If you’re a man, I’m sure you hear nothing about it at all.

Last year a few of my friends were going through menopause and suddenly I found myself hearing the horror stories “the change” can bring to a woman’s body. I’m familiar with the idea of hot flashes, but until that point I’d never heard much about the mood swings, or the feeling of losing your mind and memory loss. My friends made it sound like bad PMS but one hundred times worse. Fun times with our bodies are ahead of us ladies…

To bring a bit of humour to this situation Susan DeGarmo created a light-hearted, interactive pop-up book on getting older and going through the change. Many Paws is a reproduction of the original altered book she created after having a hot flash while teaching a class on altering books.

The book has three dimensional elements, pop-up pieces, doors to open, and bits to pull. It’s colourful and fun, but best of all it’s a book that embraces the aging of women and laughs with us rather than making us feel ridiculous about our struggles.

I was sent a review copy of the book, which is an usual situation for me. Accepting it was a no-brainer because it’s a great addition to my library of books on altered books and paper art. I think it will also be a wonderful item to share with my female friends as we age. I know it’s something I want to enjoy rather than dread.

Visit Susan DeGarmo’s website to learn more about her. You can also purchase your own copy of the book online here or through Amazon.