MY BODY BEEPS!

A little girl with diabetes just wants to play in Lockwood’s picture book.

Katie has wavy light brown hair and fair skin. Before Katie can play hide-and-seek with the other kids in the park, her mom says: “Put the receiver in your pocket, and if you beep, get your diabetes supplies from my bag.” While her mom waits on a park bench nearby, Katie joins her friends, but when she goes to hide, her receiver beeps. Rather than following mom’s instructions, Katie keeps playing—and beeping. Katie’s friend Olivia carries a puppy dog backpack, and when they hide together, Olivia retrieves her asthma inhaler from the bag and takes a puff. Katie is inspired by her friend’s independence, and when her mom finds her, Katie apologizes for worrying her and asks if she might have her own backpack to keep her diabetes supplies on hand. Sall’s watercolor and pencil cartoon illustrations show Katie hiding and beeping while the other kids search; the images fortify the theme of Katie concealing her diabetes until she finds a friend with whom she can relate. Delightfully, it’s Katie and Olivia’s laughter about their respective conditions that gets them caught in the end (not the beeping). The prose uses short, simple sentences in the form of dialogue, Katie’s inner thoughts, and third person narration set around the illustrations. The effect is a truly immersive read that kids with and without chronic medical conditions can enjoy.

Empathetic, informative, and fun.