It’s that time of year again … the beginning of school. As a parent of a young daughter with a severe
peanut allergy it is always a period of anxiety as you hope your child won’t be
exposed to a life-threatening situation while she’s out of your care. Two of my wife & I’s biggest concerns are
parents bringing in snacks for the kids that aren’t safe or a friendly
classmate sharing their lunch not understanding the risks that eating the wrong
thing could present to our child.
Sharon Chisvin has written a cute book addressing peanut
allergies that I would recommend every class room, day care, and public library
that has a children’s circle time keep on their reading list. THE GIRL WHO CANNOT EAT PEANUT BUTTER may be a
short read at 19 pages but it has a big message in helping children understand
that their friends with food allergies need them to be considerate and it isn’t
something to tease about. Charming
sketches by illustrator Carol Leszcz and prose by Chisvin that is portrayed in rhyme
makes the book an enjoyable and educational read for youngsters as well as for those
who are young at heart.
I’ve often found that people consider food allergies at the
same level as nasal allergies like hay fever.
Many people just don’t understand how easily it is for someone to die or
be seriously hurt by going into anaphylactic shock from a food allergy reaction
because they think it will just cause a runny nose or a rash. So I was a little concerned by the warning
given in the book about if Sam, THE GIRL WHO CANNOT EAT PEANUT BUTTER, was to
have an allergic reaction:
If Sam ate
peanuts she wouldn’t feel well
Her tummy
would hurt and her tongue might swell
Her eyes
would get itchy and her throat would scratch
And she
might break out in a terrible rash
Despite that critique, I thought of the audience
this book is aimed at preschool to grade school children and realized that you
don’t want to scare these kids but rather inform them on being considerate to
that girl of boy who is unique in their class.
I also appreciated the underlying theme of the book that everyone is unique
in some way and being different isn’t bad because it can provide benefits like “those
tasty lunches she always brings …”
Peanut allergies are on the rise and it is more
and more likely that if you are a parent, teacher, or caregiver of young
children you are going to encounter difficulties created by food
allergies. The best way to handle these
situations is with compassion and consideration, a message shared in this book, which is why as a peanut allergy dad I highly recommend it as a learning tool
for children and the adults who care for them.
You can purchase THE GIRL WHO CANNOT EAT PEANUT
BUTTER on Amazon.com as a paperback book for $9.95 or for Kindle at $3.95: http://www.amazon.com/The-Girl-Cannot-Peanut-Butter/dp/0988010402
I received a complimentary copy of THE GIRL WHO
CANNOT EAT PEANUT BUTTER to review but the thoughts and opinions in this book review are my own.
For more information on Peanut Allergies please watch this video featuring children's allergy specialist Devang Doshi from Beaumont Health System:
For more information on Peanut Allergies please watch this video featuring children's allergy specialist Devang Doshi from Beaumont Health System:
Thanks very much for this book review !
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