Books for Children

George catches a cold – review

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George catches a cold
Ladybird books, 2017
Based on the TV series Peppa Pig created by Neville Astley and Mark Baker

 

“Oh dear!” George was out in the rain and now has a cold.

It has been a terrible flu season and so many have been knocked flat. If you, or a little one near you has been sick and needs cheering up, Peppa pig might help bring a smile. Sickness can bring a sense of loss and confusion. Children recovering may be sad from activities missed and other uncertainties. “George catches a cold” could be a good conversation starter, helping parents listen and kids let feelings out.

Peppa pig fans will see a funny side to being sick. “Silly” George doesn’t like wearing his rain hat, he is having so much fun jumping in the muddy puddle and making noise. George throws his hat in the muddy puddle too. Peppa, in big sister fashion “grunts” disapproval, older siblings of toddlers may nod in agreement.

Sure enough, George catches a cold. Mummy pig thanks Doctor brown bear for coming. Your preschooler might relate to opening their mouth wide and saying “ahhh”. Perhaps, like George, they are worried and hold a favourite toy. George gets better and returns to his noisy self, family fun begins again. I hope you enjoy this calm, bright and quirky book, Peppa pig has alot to share.

 

How to help children cope when they are sick or need medical procedures?

Both health professionals and parents may want to know how to help children cope better during doctors visits and medical procedures. This can be particularly challenging for kids who don’t like to be touched, hate taking medicine, are in pain or experience unresolved fear from previous medical procedures.

Parents may need reassuring that it is OK if their child is crying when it is time for a needle or medical procedure. Paediatric nurse, Brooke Batchelor, hosts a helpful parent blog and Facebook page. In the Emergency department and at home Brooke has found a child laughing is a child releasing tension stored up. Brooke talks about play and “play listening”, little games that start laughter and lead to better coping. Parents and professionals who want to find out more, listen to the Handinhand parenting podcast “assisting children in your office or hospital setting” (50 min). For a quick read article on the value of play and preparing children try Taking the fear out of the hospital, with furry friends and fun by the Mayo clinic.

Why does AWCH keep talking about preparing kids and coping?

AWCH wants to help parents/carers and professionals make healthcare experiences as normal as possible allowing kids to keep on developing. When a newborn baby, young child, child or adolescent is not coping with healthcare experiences and their needs are not met, impacts can be carried into adult life. AWCH values parents and carers finding ways of coping, being less anxious and preparing children. Preparation in advance will help avoid trauma and lifelong negative impacts on health and wellbeing.

More links?

Find more links on AWCH library page, including Needles and Needle-related medical procedures.

 

 

Feedback

Is there something that works for you, for example with pill swallowing? Please share to help others.

 

Jillian Rattray
AWCH librarian
Email: Jillian@awch.com.au
AWCH Library
Please note: Books can be borrowed from the AWCH library within Australia (for the cost of postage). We have books for preschools and longday care centres to borrow, we also run healthcare familarisation storytime

The Internet is like a puddle – review

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Five Mile Press, Victoria, 2014
ISBN 9781760064167


For children aged 3-6 yrs








A cautionary tale

Don’t let the wide-eyed animals in “The internet is like a puddle” lull you into thinking all is calm. Expect a serious message. There are loads of fun things to do and games to play on the internet. Look out for a crocodile with plenty of teeth idling in the puddle but don’t be deceived. This book will help adults communicate a cautionary approach to internet time and start conversations with young children about safe internet play.

The internet can be a bit tricky

There’s lots of games and splashing fun to be had in a puddle, the water may appear to be shallow but can be deep and mirky underneath. In this picture book koala is absorbed stepping out with his mobile phone, rabbit and bear are on a lap top, ipad or ‘device’, mouse looks on holding a red polka-dot ball. The first inkling of difficulty comes when frog jumps head first into the pond, the internet can be “a bit tricky”. 
The first inkling of difficulty comes when frog jumps head first into the pond

Child-friendly story about online safety

Young children in many Australian families may not ask “what’s the internet?” Going online is just part of daily life. This little gem of a book is going to be helpful for adults wanting to create awareness about internet safety from a child’s perspective. 
Shona Innes, the author, uses words like “deep’, ‘stuck’, ‘trouble’ and ‘tricky’. Awareness is raised about safety and chatting to strangers, also health and wellbeing. Bears eyes droop from playing too long.
Feelings and reactions are explored, the internet is fun to play with and because of this it can be hard to say ‘no’. This validates feelings children may have if they are asked to say ‘no’ to the chance to dip into the ‘internet puddle’. It might seem unfair when ‘everyone else gets to play’.

Role of a parent or carer

Big bear holds Little bears paw at the edge of a pond. Duck is happily floating in the “puddle”. Then something doesn’t look right, a large crocodile with lots of teeth and a menacing smile waits in the pond with an inflatable purple floaty ring. The message is clear, a safe person needs to be there to make sure children don’t go in too deep and if this happens, they know what to do next. Notes for parents and teachers about technology use, setting limits and being internet safe are at the back of the book. Shona Innes, is a qualified clinical and forensic psychologist.
This book has engaging illustrations with thoughtful text and provides a wonderful means for communicating with children in a child-friendly way. It is one of several books from the Big hug series featuring expressive and warm animal illustrations and sharing emotional challenges.

Please get in touch if you would like to read The Internet is like a puddle, You are like you or Worries are like clouds. I purchased copies from The Children’s Bookshop they can also be purchased online. Recommended retail price is $14.95.

Crocodile, Freshwater Station, Cairns

More on internet, cyber or online safety?

World issues: Staying safe online is a recent book for primary students, with plenty of photos and accessible text.  Parents can link to Australian Government’s Office of the Children’s eSafety Commission, for guidance and strategies in the home, including managing technology. The publication A parent’s guide to online safety is available 5 languages. Life Education, visits schools to empower children and young people to make safer and healthier resources through education. Parents can find out about how to start conversations with their children.
Your feedback is valuable. Do you have any children’s 
resources that have helped explain internet safety?

Jillian Rattray

AWCH librarian
Email: Jillian@awch.com.au
November 2016

Who’s got a normal family? – review

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By Belinda Nowell and illustrated by Miša Alexander
Little Steps Publishing, Glebe 2016.  ISBN 9781925117752.

“I read the book three times… it makes people feel okay about the type of family they have”, said one primary school reader

 

Who’s got a normal family?
‘Who’s got a normal family?’ a delegate at the recent ACWA* conference read out loud.  “Well whose family is normal?” she asked, laughing. It’s not hard to see why this recent Australian book caught the interest of many who came by our ACWA resource booth.

With two hats on, one friendly delegate working with children in out-of-home care, had also recently become a foster parent. She said how helpful this book would be for a sibling adjusting to a new family member.

Welcome to a new foster child
The story is about Alex, an easy going boy. It is news time at school, Alex is greeted with classroom cheers when he tells the children his new baby foster sister has arrived. That is all except one boy, Jimmy Martin, who has a “stomp in his step and upside-down smile”. He yells “babies are boring” and “she’s not your real sister”.

Alex is sad and asks his mum about “normal families” when he gets home from school. She pulls out his class photo and they talk about the families at school. Alex’s mum is a supportive adult presence who helps sort through Alex’s difficult emotions.

Different but unique 
This picture book entices readers with its character-filled illustrations. Each school child is introduced with their family. Alex is a foster child, Alir came to Australia for safety with his large family, Eva has a daddy but not a mummy, Henry has two dads, etc. With an upbeat tone, Alex chats about what makes each child and family unique. There’s a sense of fun and acceptance which makes this book enjoyable to read.

Something to share
Alex finds a way, with the help of his mum, to connect with Jimmy. He realises Jimmy is sad because his daddy doesn’t live with him anymore. Alex shares what he has just learned about “normal families” with Jimmy, as well as showing him his hidden blue-tongue lizard family and all ends well.
Who might like this book?

Families with infant school children, the book is aimed at children 5-7 years. Younger children and older independent readers may also find this book engaging and helpful.

More resources

  • Dhiiyaan is a beautiful reading App written and illustrated by Elaine Russell, for grandparent kinship carers to share with their kids.
  • Healthcare professionals may want to look at Out of homecare and healthcare pathways, by NSW Health.

You are like you and The Internet is like a puddle A Big Hug Book Series, recent Australian resources displayed at our ACWA* conference booth.

Have you found a children’s resource promoting child wellbeing to recommend? If so, please let us know.

 * Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies (ACWA) is the NSW non-government peak body representing the voice of community organisations working with vulnerable children, young people and their families.

Jillian Rattray

 

AWCH librarian

September 2016

Our Stripy Baby – review

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Written by Gillian Shields and illustrated by Paula Metcalf
Macmillan children’s books, 2006. ISBN 1405022108.

Our stripy baby, written for young children, is essentially a story about embracing differences.

Get ready for a splash of colour and an imaginative tale about a family of made-up creatures with spots – the Moon family. There’s daddy Moon, mummy Moon, Zara Moon and soon to be born, baby Moon. Young readers are taken on a journey with this endearing family and Zara can’t wait for the arrival of the new baby. She tells friend Molly, “our baby will be just like your brother Max”.

“One, two, three, four”, there are now four family members but there is something wrong. Zara faces strong feelings of disappointment, sadness and even anger. Zara wants to know why baby Zack has stripes not spots. She wants to take him back.

Mummy Moon is reassuring, “He’s our baby”, and Daddy Moon affirms, “He’s got a lovely smile”. Zara is sad and cuddles Mummy Moon. Why is her brother different? At the park Zara thinks people might stare and so she doesn’t even want to play. Attempts to change Zack by wrapping him in a long spotty scarf lead to frustration. Mummy Moon and Daddy Moon explain he is beautiful. They don’t want to change Zack. He is just different.

“One, two, three, four”, there are now four happy people in the Moon family. The story finishes with reassurance and a new beginning. Zara discovers more about Zack and finds a way to show she’s sorry. She draws something that looks like Zack’s beautiful stripes – a rainbow.

I recently read Our stripy baby to a group of young children at story time, they clearly enjoyed the warm illustrations and comforting family theme. This picture book features an engaging mix of single and two page illustrations filled with colour, humour and gentle expression. Children found it fun to count with repetition “one, two, three, four” and look for the Moon family. Among the group were two children who didn’t have long to wait for a new baby in their families and so the child care teacher had much to chat about with the children afterwards.

F is for Feelings – from fear to resiliency – resource

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It can be hard for a teenager when her peers move from the excitement of “can I sign your cast” to “it’s really going to hurt when they take it off”?

 

Fresh out of a visit to hospital with my daughter yesterday, I’m reminded of the importance of feelings. It seems all too obvious, that a trip to hospital will result in feelings of anxiety and fear.

Photo from: http://www.clipartpanda.com
Yet my thirteen year old had shown stoicism from the outset of breaking her arm. She picked herself up and trudged across the sporting field asking for her water bottle. Meanwhile I hastened to keep up, asking her to slow down. Over the weeks she coped with waits at two hospital emergency departments, an adult’s hospital and a children’s hospital, then repeated waiting at orthopaedic and x-ray clinic queues. She had it down pat and knew where to go and what to do, seeing herself as one of the many other children waiting for treatment.
There were certainly challenges along the way, worst being no food or drink and for me watching the pain under gas as her arm was manipulated and put back into shape. Once again I had to hasten to keep up as she jumped up after the procedure to head off to make an appointment at the orthopaedic clinic. The only sign of something being wrong was the cast from wrist and over bent elbow.
Later that night the pain and challenge of sleeping with a heavy bent elbow came. This was followed by challenges of dressing, washing, undertaking school work with her weak arm and carrying a heavy  bag which included books and a laptop. Transport on the bus with kids pushing and pulling also led to pain and concern. Despite all this she managed to walk, run and dance her way through the weeks.

Photo from:
http://www.kleurplaten.nl/kleurplaten/12308.gif
So where in all this resiliency do fearful feelings occur? It can be hard for a teenager when her peers move from the excitement of “can I sign your cast” to “it’s really going to hurt when they take it off” and so the stories begin.
I wasn’t prepared for my daughter’s sleepless night that preceded the day when the cast came off or for the impact of some of the “kid-fabricated” stories.  As we waited one last time in the waiting room she was distracted by the funny things around her, a parent talking to their young child about what was on TV, “look there’s a penguin with a rainbow coloured beak”, no it’s a puffin she thought! Just when things weren’t looking good she was called up. One boy had cheered earlier when his name was called, adults chuckled, a moment of relief.

Photo from:
http://www.123rf.com/clipart-vector/zombie_arm.html

What made the difference to my daughter’s trepidation were the explanations health professionals gave. Speaking to her and demonstrating the procedure of having the cast taken off made all the difference. Phrases like “what you can expect”, “what you might expect” were really helpful. She even smiled as the cast came off. She was glad her arm was not green.

Being “armed” with information makes all the difference. The first test of this was as she reluctantly passed by the swings on our way to the car. It was great to know that she understood and can resist the temptation to hop on a swing, bike or other moving object.
How can books and resources help?
As parents, we won’t always know what our children are feeling. The AWCH library holds books to help adolescents and children understand what they are feeling. There are books written to help children identify and manage how they are feeling so they can develop self-esteem and coping skills.
 A book to help adolescents is the Stress reduction workbook for teens: mindfulness skills to help you deal with stress. Teenagers can use this easy to read workbook with activities to develop an understanding of what stress is and how to live in the present moment, “mindfulness”. They will gain a sense of control over stressful situations and develop resilience.
There are books too for school children such as Relax, which teaches relaxation techniques or Be the boss of your stress : self-care for kids and Be the boss of your pain: self-care for kids.  
Nowadays there are plenty of online resources to help children and families prepare for hospital experiences, an example for young children is the child-friendly free app Okee in medical imaging. This fun app will help young children learn all about medical imaging and feel relaxed and supported.
Help! My Child’s in Hospital has practical advice for parents on preparing their child for hospital. Visit the website to find out about other families experiences.
Everybody stay calm: how to support your young child through medical tests and procedures will also help families prepare. These books will help parents with practical skills to support their children through stressful times, so they gain confidence and better health.
So I invite you to borrow a book and be well prepared for that next encounter with the doctor, dentist or hospital.

 

Jillian Rattray
AWCH librarian
April 2015

 

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