A helpful book for readers seeking to better understand the physical and emotional challenges of EoE.
Yuan and Rotter’s (Eating Isn’t Always Easy, 2012) short book about eosinophilic esophagitis is a creative resource for elementary school–aged children dealing with a complicated medical condition.
Danny is a seemingly typical 7-year-old boy. He likes sports and video games, has lots of friends, and finds his older sister to be somewhat annoying. However, Danny also has EoE, an allergic inflammatory condition that causes him to choke on food and often throw up. Diagnosis takes time, and establishing which types of food trigger Danny’s condition is the most difficult part of it. The boy must eliminate many different foods from his diet, including some of his favorites, and also avoid sharing his friends’ food. At one point, he has to go on an “elemental” diet, in which he consumes a special drink and slowly reintroduces other foods to determine what specifically makes him sick. It’s a difficult process for the youngster, but his family is supportive; he also works with a psychologist who helps him deal with his feelings of frustration and sadness. Finally, his doctors determine which foods Danny needs to avoid. Although he can’t eat ice cream or cheese, his parents help him find other options, and he feels much better. Danny narrates the story, which will allow young readers to experience his journey firsthand. The authors are highly qualified to pen this book: Yuan is a pediatric gastroenterologist and Rotter, a pediatric psychologist. Their stated goal with this story is to help children with EoE better understand their condition and feel less alone. To that end, the text is well-written, informative, and age-appropriate. Danny is a very relatable character who’s honest about the challenges of living with EoE—there are struggles, but he’s still able to lead a normal life. Rotter’s full-color drawings helpfully portray Danny’s world, depicting everything from his doctor appointments and medical tests to his longing for certain foods and anger over dietary restrictions.
A helpful book for readers seeking to better understand the physical and emotional challenges of EoE.Pub Date: May 21, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4949-8300-0
Page Count: 86
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An accessible entrance into the world of social-emotional skills.
What do you do when the world turns upside down?
Freckled redhead Tilda is a happy only child with a rollicking personality. With lots of books and toys and a multiracial group of friends, life is perfect as far as she’s concerned…until her world undergoes a troubling change (a subtle hint in the illustrations suggests that Tilda’s parents have divorced). Suddenly, nothing feels right, everything seems hard, and she doesn’t want to play with her friends. To reflect this emotional disorientation, the artwork shows Tilda in spatially distorted settings, complete with upside-down objects. It’s not until she sees an upturned ladybug struggle persistently before getting back on its feet (despite Tilda’s desire to help, the ladybug needs to help itself) that Tilda gains the courage to start taking baby steps in order to cope with her new reality. There are still challenges, and she needs to persevere, but eventually, she regains her zest for life and reconnects with her friends. Despite this, the ending avoids an easy happily-ever-after, which feels just right for the subject matter. Though a trifle didactic, the story sends an important message about the roles of self-efficacy and persistence when it comes to overcoming challenges and building resilience. Percival’s digital illustrations use transitions from grayscale to color to create symbolic meaning and have psychological depth, deftly capturing a child’s experience of trauma.
An accessible entrance into the world of social-emotional skills. (author's note) (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: March 1, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0822-5
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2022
A memorable story of kindness, courage and wonder.
After being home-schooled for years, Auggie Pullman is about to start fifth grade, but he’s worried: How will he fit into middle school life when he looks so different from everyone else?
Auggie has had 27 surgeries to correct facial anomalies he was born with, but he still has a face that has earned him such cruel nicknames as Freak, Freddy Krueger, Gross-out and Lizard face. Though “his features look like they’ve been melted, like the drippings on a candle” and he’s used to people averting their eyes when they see him, he’s an engaging boy who feels pretty ordinary inside. He’s smart, funny, kind and brave, but his father says that having Auggie attend Beecher Prep would be like sending “a lamb to the slaughter.” Palacio divides the novel into eight parts, interspersing Auggie’s first-person narrative with the voices of family members and classmates, wisely expanding the story beyond Auggie’s viewpoint and demonstrating that Auggie’s arrival at school doesn’t test only him, it affects everyone in the community. Auggie may be finding his place in the world, but that world must find a way to make room for him, too.
A memorable story of kindness, courage and wonder. (Fiction. 8-14)Pub Date: Feb. 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-375-86902-0
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Dec. 2, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2011
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