Bianca's Week 8 Post

This week I focused on three picture books that each identified a very important issue that society often finds difficult to communicate with children.

The Great Katie Kate Tackles Questions About Cancer by M Maitland DeLand, M.D. and illustrated by Jennifer Zivion is an information-rich picture book which aims to help children and their families understand many of the difficult and confusing medical procedures associated with leukaemia through the use of the fictional character ‘Katie Kate’ who acts as a superhero. I found this story to be very poignant because of the book’s context. This would be a very good picture book for children aged 7 to 10 due to the language and vocabulary used. It would also be a great aid for teachers wishing to explore difficult issues associated with children suffering from cancer.

Time To Pray by Maha Addasi (translated by Nuha Albitar) and illustrated by Ned Gannon is a picture book written in both English and Arabic that explores the story of a young girl visiting her grandmother in the Middle East. During her stay, she learns about the Islamic practice of the daily five prayers, and the rituals that are associated with these prayers. I find this book to be particularly refreshing because it gives us, as Australians, an opportunity to look into the ordinary life of someone who is Islamic and witness the positive spirituality that is evident throughout their day. The last page of the book is my favourite, with detailed information on each of the five daily prayers and when they should be undertaken.

Eli the Bipolar Bear by Sharon Bracken and illustrated by Joshua Nask is a picture book that focuses on bipolar disorder in children, and how this can affect them in all aspects of their lives as well as tat of their family and friends. The main character is a polar bear called Eli, who appears to suffer from some strange and confusing behavioural problems despite having a normal, healthy family. We later learn that he has bipolar disorder, and that medication and cognitive behavioural therapy is used to help treat and alleviate his symptoms. This book is an excellent read, not only for children but for professionals and teachers as well, as it helps to create a fictional and light-hearted scenario in which a very difficult behavioural issue is raised.