What Do You Use To Help Your Body?: Maggie Explores the World of Disabilities
Author
Jewel Kats
Publisher
Loving Healing Press
3 Review Copies Left
Who are the people with disabilities in your neighborhood? Maggie and Momma love going for walks. During every outing, Maggie learns about something new. Today's no different! Momma has arranged for Maggie to meet lots of people in her neighborhood. They all have different jobs. They all come from different cultures. They all use different things to help their bodies. Maggie doesn't just stop to chit-chat. Rather, she gets to the bottom of things. By asking the right question, she discovers how many people with disabilities use aids to help them out. Let's find out how they work, too!
- Children will learn that disabilities occur in every culture
- Parents and teachers can accurately explain how various disability aids work
- Children will realize that working with a disability is a possibility for some
- Therapists can use this book as a motivational tool for patients with disabilities
- Kids can satisfy their curiosity about disability aids in an unimposing manner
Therapists' Acclaim:
"This book is just right for a preschooler or young elementary aged child who needs a simple introductory explanation about disabilities and accommodations. It's characters experience varied limitations and are represented by culturally diverse people in the neighborhood. The book is short, matter of fact, colorful and to the point."
--Laurie Zelinger, PhD,author of Please Explain Anxiety to Me
"Perception of a disability is life-shaping for those who are 'differently able'. it is imperative that they have assistive devices to help them lead normal lives and be perceived as 'normal'. i.e. differently able. Your book shows people living their normal lives with assistive devices which is the way it should be Thanks for your great contribution to the positive perception of people who are differently abled."
--N.Siddiq, B.Sc., M.D., CBC freelance broadcast journalist
"This book is a great resource for parents, teachers and other childhood educators to help teach children about living with a disability. It offers important lessons in tolerance, compassion and dignity."
--Mary Lynne Stewart, Director of Fund Development and Communications, March of Dimes Canada
For more info see www.JewelKats.com
From the Growing With Love Series at Loving Healing Press www.LovingHealing.com
JUV039150 Juvenile Fiction : Social Issues - Special Needs
SOC029000 Social Science : Handicapped
EDU026040 Education : Special Education - Physical Disabilities
Reviews
Having worked with children and adults with disabilities, I am always interested in books that feature ways for children to learn more about other people's disabilities. This book proved to be one of those books. It allows for parents to open up a discussion on being different.
Maggie goes out on a walk with her mom, who has made it a special walk because she has arranged for Maggie to meet people who use different things to help their bodies. My children thought it was interesting because they learned about assistive devices, such as hearing aids, prosthesis, guide dogs and communication boards--something my children thought was cool. In addition to meeting people with various disabilities, they are from different cultures, too, adding realism to the story. We began to talk about people we knew who used assistive devices such as my children's Grandma who wears a hearing aid.
Children have a natural curiosity about devices but sometimes seeing a person very different from them may be scary. I remember working in a school with a boy who had an artificial leg he shlepped to school every day and put on so he could learn to walk without his wheelchair. The kids in his class avoided him simply because that leg freaked them out until the day we got the whole class to sit in a circle and listen to the boy explain all about his leg. Then suddenly it was the coolest thing! The kids now wanted to touch it and see how it worked.
I wish I had had this book to introduce those kids to assistive devices because I think it's a good resource for educators, especially those who have disabled kids integrated in their classrooms. It is simple to read, shows insight on the feelings of disabled people, and serves as an educational tool as well. Older kids would need a book with more depth but this one is ideal for the 4-8 year-old target audience.
Reviewed on 09/27/2011 by ReviewTheBook.com Member Laura Fabiani
What do you use to help your body?
By Jewel Kats
Illustrations by Richa Kinra
9781615990825
The concept of this book is one that needs to be explored more (in my opinion) with kids today. While the main point of “What do you use to help your body?” is to understand how things can help, it does briefly touch on the sensitivities of the disabled. Even for such a young age group as this one is targeted for, there could have been more. I have had to explain disabilities of a relative to my kids several times in past. The best part of books like this is that it opens up the topic to discussion and hopefully reduces discrimination while promoting acceptance. This was a good introduction to special needs of people around us.
Reviewed on 09/13/2011 by ReviewTheBook.com Member Debbie Berry
